Elizabeth's Secrets
by ladypatpatriot
Summary: What if on her birthday, Elizabeth reveals two secrets to Jack, one from her past and one from her present and future? What if Elizabeth had a brother, a twin? I do not own When Calls the Heart or its characters
1. Chapter 1

Elizabeth's Secrets

 _What if on Elizabeth's birthday she reveals to Jack some secrets in her life, one from her past and one from her present and future. What if Elizabeth had a brother, a twin?_

Elizabeth woke up to the smell of coffee and bacon cooking. She stretched and then put one hand to her stomach and the other to cover her mouth. The bacon was making her nauseous. She guessed that Jack was making her breakfast in bed because today was her birthday. Wouldn't he be surprised when she shared with him a present of her own? She smiled as she thought about the look on his face when she confessed that she was finally pregnant after almost two years of marriage. They had been waiting for this moment since getting married and had been disappointed several times. Now it was finally happening. The smile quickly turned to a frown when she thought about the other secret she needed to tell him, something she knew she should have told him when they were courting but couldn't bring herself to do so due to the pain she felt.

Finding out about the baby so close to her birthday brought back so many memories of celebrating her birthday when she was a child, with Eric, her twin brother. Being the only boy in the family, William Thatcher had wanted to groom Eric to take over the family business, but Eric had other ideas. He wanted to join the Canadian Army. From the time Elizabeth and Eric had been ten years old, all she wanted to do was become a teacher for a small town in western Canada, like her Aunt Elizabeth, and all he wanted to do was fight for his country. William had assumed that both his children would grow out of such outlandish ideas for careers. William had no problem if Elizabeth wanted to teach but he expected her to do so in Hamilton. As for Eric, he expected, no demanded that Eric join him at the family company. Once Elizabeth and Eric hit their teens, things became troublesome for Eric and William. They fought constantly with each other over Eric's career choices, culminating in Eric running away from home shortly after their sixteenth birthday, lying about his age and joining the Army.

Eric's departure had left a big hole in the family. William took it as an insult to the entire family. He ordered everyone never to mention Eric's name, he demanded all of Eric's things be removed from the house and he told his family never to try and contact Eric. Elizabeth was devastated by this; she and Eric had such a close bond between them, even closer than the bond with Julie and Viola, their sisters. She figured it was because they spent so much time together in the womb. They always knew if something was bothering the other one. Because of this, Eric has arranged it so he could get letters to Elizabeth without their father knowing. He made Elizabeth his only next of kin. When she left for college, she made sure he has her new address so he could get in touch with her. She almost wished she hadn't though. Right before midterms in her second year in college, she received word that the plane her brother had been piloting went down near Prince Edward Island. The wreckage of the plane was located and the body of his co-pilot but Eric's body was never found. He was reported missing in action and presumed dead. Elizabeth's heart felt like it shattered in two. She had sensed something was wrong with Eric but did not expect it to be so serious. Elizabeth pressed the Army to keep looking for him because she didn't feel like he was dead. She just knew that her "twin-sense" as they like to call the bond between them, would tell her if he was dead. The army appeased her for a while, but the case grew cold as they had other things they needed to take care of. Today, while she was ecstatic about the baby and her new life with Jack, she couldn't help but be sad that Eric would never know his niece or nephew.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two:

A Gift for Jack

Hearing Jack coming down the hall, humming, she quickly wiped her tears from her eyes and face, hoping Jack wouldn't notice. She tried putting a smile on her face as he entered the room. Seeing her awake, Jack started singing "Happy Birthday" as he put her breakfast tray down on the bed. She tried to ignore the smell of the bacon and eggs as he finished singing.

"Happy Twenty-fifth Birthday, Sweetheart" he said, as he leaned over to kiss her. He then noticed she had been crying. "Hey, what's the matter, Elizabeth? You shouldn't be crying today. This is a happy day."

"It is, Jack, in more ways than one. I have a wonderful, thoughtful husband who treats me like a princess on my birthday" Jack flashed his famous dimpled smile at her. "Please don't be insulted because I really appreciate the gesture, but I am feeling sick this morning. I don't think I could eat that. Would you mind bringing the tray back to the kitchen and then come back and sit on the bed with me? I have a little gift to give you."

Jack looked at her, a little confused and a little hurt. "Ok, sure. If that is what you want. But you didn't need to get me a gift, it's not my birthday". He took the tray and left the room. A minute later he was back, but with a worried expression on his handsome face. "What is going on, Elizabeth? I know you haven't been feeling well lately. Should I go get the doctor?"

She smiled at him, a huge smile that light up her face. Jack became even more confused at this point. "No Jack, that won't be necessary. I have already seen the doctor" She leaned over to open her night stand drawer and pulled out a gift. "Open this up, it will explain everything." She laughed a little at his questioning gaze.

"Ok, but I should be giving you the gifts today"

You already did, she thought to herself, as she watched him open the box. His expression got even more confused as he looked at what appeared to be tiny socks and a hat too small for his head.

"Elizabeth, if these are for me then I think something went wrong when you washed them. They are too sm…." He trailed off as he realized that maybe he wasn't supposed to wear them. "Wait a minute, are you…." He let the thought hang in the air.

Elizabeth smile grew even bigger as she took one of his hands and placed it on her abdomen. "Congratulations, Jack! You are going to be a father!" She watched the expression change on his face from confusion to joy. The smile on his face matched hers as he put the gift aside and pulled her into his arms and tenderly kissed her.

"Elizabeth, I can't believe this". He exclaimed, tears welling up in his eyes. "So what you have been feeling has been morning sickness." He buried his face in her hair and gently hugged her. Suddenly he pulled back and said "You need to eat something. We don't want you skipping meals now that you are eating for two. The eggs and bacon I made are out. Tell what you think you can keep down and I will make it for you".

"I know this doesn't sound like much, but it is just the thing for a woman suffering from morning sickness. I would like some dry toast and a cup of tea. I brought home some mint tea yesterday. Mint is good for settling upset tummies." She saw Jack about to protest her choice so she put a finger to his lips. "I know it doesn't sound like much, but if I can keep the toast down, I should be hungry in an hour or so and can then have something more substantial."

Jack nodded, liking the sound of that. "Ok, mint tea and dry toast it is." He started to get up but Elizabeth pulled on his arm to stay a moment longer.

"Jack, after I eat, I have something else I want to talk to you about. If you have the time before going to work. It's important." She cast her eyes downward, hoping she wouldn't cry again.

He looked at her, puzzled. "Ok. We have all day. I took the day off to be with the girl I love with all my heart on her special day." He smiled at her, bent down to give her one more, gentle kiss then left the bedroom.

Elizabeth let out a shaky breath. _Let's hope he still feels that way after I tell him about Eric_. She reached into her drawer once again and pulled out a picture of the two of them taken on their last birthday together.


	3. Jack's Finds Out

Jack returned a short time later which her toast, wearing a huge smile on his face. She only hoped the smile would stay there after she told him the secret she had kept from him. She stuck the picture she was holding under her pillow and accepted the tray he put down before her and started to slowly nibble on the toast. Jack got into bed and put his arm around her. Once she was finished, he removed the tray and put it the floor on his side of the bed.

"Now, what is it that you wanted to tell me? Is it as exciting as the baby news? Because I don't think you can top that."

Elizabeth took a deep breath while gathering up the courage to tell her story. "Jack, what I have to tell you might upset you because I didn't tell you anything about it before. I have wanted to tell you but it is very painful for me to talk about. Finding out about the baby so close to my birthday has given me the strength to tell you this. I need for you to let me tell you the whole story before you say anything. I only hope that at the end you won't be too mad at me for keeping it a secret." She let out a huge breath and looked at his face. He looked confused and had a fearful look in his eyes.

"Elizabeth, you are scaring me. There is nothing you could tell me that would make me angry with you. Just tell me what it is. Maybe I can help."

"I wish you could" she said softly. In her mind she thought, _here goes._ "Jack, I have, or rather had a brother. A twin brother as a matter of fact." She looked at his face; she noticed the shock appear, his jaw locked and his eyes narrowed a bit as if he were mad. She told him the whole story, tears falling down her face the entire time. Once she finished, she said "It is extremely hard for me to talk about Eric. It is very painful; I still feel like my heart has been ripped in two. That is why I couldn't tell you before, but since today is or would be our twenty-fifth birthday and I know he would have been excited to be an uncle, I felt I had to tell you, so you could understand why I am a little sad today." She looked down at her hands then, and sobs she was crying started to cause her to shake. Startled, she felt Jack's arms go around her and pull her into him. He started rocking her back and forth, rubbing her back to help her calm down.

"Shhh, its ok." He murmured. "I am here for you, always and forever"

She pushed back from him and looked at him in shock. "You, you aren't mad at me for keeping this a secret?"

Jack shook his head. "No, Sweetheart. I was a little in the beginning and as you told the story, I kept wondering why you would keep that a secret when you know you can tell me anything. Seeing your face and hearing you cry as you told the story show me just how hard today is for you. You were just trying to protect your heart from more anguish. I don't blame you for that. There are things about my past I haven't been that forth coming about for similar reasons." He gave her a quick kiss on her forehead and wiped the tears from her cheeks.

Elizabeth threw her arms around him and gave him a big kiss. "Thank you, thank you, for understanding, Jack. That means the world to me". She reached under her pillow for the picture. "Would you like to see a picture of us?"

"Of course!" He took the picture from her. "You look alike. You look more like each other than you and either of your sisters. When was this picture taken?"

She laughed. "Yes we do. That was taken on our sixteenth birthday. It was the last picture taken of us before he left home." She started to feel sad again, then shook her head.

Jack looked at her, concerned, "What's wrong, Sweetheart?"

"I am not going to let my sadness about my brother ruin this wonderful day for us. Eric would not want that. I can just hear him now. He would want us to celebrate."

"Jack, would you hold me for a while? I think I need a little nap. Emotional purging can make anyone tired; it's worse when that person is pregnant and already has hormones bouncing all over the place'"

"Of course, Sweetheart! I am not going anywhere."

"I think after the nap, I may want something to eat."

"Let me know and I will make you anything you want. Today I am going to pamper you."

"Today huh. I think you are going to want to pamper me and be over protective of me for the remainder of the pregnancy". She pretended to be upset but her eyes gave her away that she wouldn't mind a little pampering.

"You know me too well, don't you Elizabeth?" He smiled and then laid down on the bed, pulling her close to him. They both soon fell asleep, her with her head on his chest, him with his arm around her waist, protecting her and their unborn baby. Soon, he was dreaming about the future they would have with their new baby. Both of them had smiles on their faces.


	4. Emotions

Elizabeth woke up about an hour later, with Jack's arm still around her. Despite what she said to Jack about trying not to be sad today, she couldn't help missing Eric. She felt tears forming in her eyes again. She carefully moved Jack's arm away from her without disturbing him, got up and went to her closet to look for something. She found her knitting basket and pulled a man's sweater out of it. She had made this sweater for Eric as a Christmas present the year he joined the Army. She had been working on it when he left, so once she finished it, she mailed it to him. The sweater was amongst his things they sent to her when he was reported dead.

She quietly walked out of the bedroom and went to sit down in front of the fire in the living room. There she took the arms of the sweater and pulled them up on her arms. She felt the tears start running down her face as once again she felt the loneliness of another birthday without her twin. She started rocking back and forth, hoping that motion would calm her down. She didn't even hear Jack walk up behind her until she felt him kiss the top of her head. He quickly noticed the tears and knew instantly why she was crying. He sat down next to her and wrapped her in a big hug, murmuring in her ear that he was there for her.

After a few minutes, she felt she had stopped crying enough to talk to him. "I am sorry, Jack. I know I said I wasn't going to be sad today but I just couldn't help it. I always feel so alone on this day, like a part of me is missing. I know that's silly because I have family, friends and my wonderful husband with me, but I just don't feel complete."

"Sweetheart, don't you worry about that. If you need to cry because you are missing your brother, then you go ahead and do so. I can tell how much you loved him and miss him. I will be here all day if you want to cry some more. I will hold you and comfort you whenever you need it."

"Thank you, Jack. That means so much to me. However, I can't keep crying like that. It isn't good for me or the baby to be an emotional basket case today." She looked at his face and smiled; the light coming back to her eyes as she thought about their baby.

Jack returned the smile and kissed her. He looked down and noticed the sweater she was wearing. "Where did you get that sweater? It looks like a man's sweater."

She smiled again, "Yes it is. I made this for Eric for Christmas the year he joined the Army. It was in his things they sent to me after. I have kept it in my knitting basket as something I could remember him by" She pulled the sweater off her arms and gave it to Jack.

He took the sweater and looked it over. "You did a great job, Elizabeth. I didn't know you could also knit adult sweaters."

"Would you like me to make one for you?" She asked, pleased that he liked her work

"Would you? That would be great. I could use a sweater to wear under the serge when I do rounds in the winter months. But will you have time to make it? I am sure you want to knit things for the baby.

"I will have plenty of time. I don't want to knit too much for the baby now in case something happens. It's these early months when it is more likely things will go wrong with the pregnancy. So I can definitely make you a sweater now. All you have to do is tell me what color you would like. I have a catalog of yarn colors in my basket you could look at. I can also let you look at my pattern book to see if you like any of the styles."

"I would like that, but how about we save that for another day? Today is your birthday and I want to do things just for you." He stood up and started walking to their den. "I haven't given you your gift yet. I will be right back" He returned a few minutes later with a small box. "Here you go, Sweetheart. Happy Birthday"

Elizabeth took the box and gently tore off the paper. She opened the box and found a matching necklace, bracelet and earring set made of opal, her birthstone. She gasped when she saw it "Oh Jack, these are just lovely. Thank you so much". She turned her face towards him and kissed him.

"I wasn't sure if I should get you jewelry with your birthstone because I thought you may have some already. When I was in the jeweler's, I ask what your birthstone was and he showed me. I didn't think I had ever seen you wear anything with this stone so I took a chance and bought them. If you want to take them back and get something else, I am fine with that."

"No, Jack. These are beautiful. I did have an opal set but they got stolen when I was traveling here. I always meant to buy another necklace but never go to it. So you were right when you said you have never seen me wear opal jewelry before." She leaned over and kissed him again. "Thank you!"

"Your welcome, Sweetheart." He pulled her into his arms and snuggled with her in front of the fire. "I have a wonderful dinner planed for you too. I hope you would be able to eat it."

"I will most certainly try. Actually I am hungry now. The doctor told me that eating several snacks and small meals throughout the day should help keep the morning sickness at bay." She stood to go to the kitchen, but Jack pulled her back down.

"You stay right here, Elizabeth. I will get something for you. Remember I am pampering you today." He gave her a quick hug, smiled at her and stood up. "What would you like?"

"I would love some cheese and some fruit. Abigail gave me some apples and grapes yesterday and there is some cheese in the icebox."

"Coming right up!" Jack leaned down to give her a kiss then headed for the kitchen, humming along the way. He still couldn't believe they were going to be parents. Tears came to his eyes again as he remembered how Elizabeth had told him. It was so clever to give him the booties and baby hat. He wondered if she had made them since he knew she liked to knit. He also wondered how long Elizabeth had known if she had time to knit.

He finished putting together a tray of food for Elizabeth and walked back to the living room. She had moved from the floor to the sofa and was looking through her knitting basket. He sat down next to her. "Elizabeth, I was wondering something, How long have you known you were pregnant?"

She smiled at him, knowing what he was getting at. "Relax, I only found out yesterday. The hat and booties I gave you are from my stash that I have for whenever I need to give a gift quickly and don't have time to shop or make something. She reached into her basket and pulled out more booties and hats made from white, pink, yellow and blue yarn.

Jack looked at her "stash" and laughed a little. "Some stash you have there. You could open a small store with that stash. He leaned over and kissed her. "From the looks of that pile, you already have enough for our child.

Elizabeth shook her head. "These are just for gifts. When I am further along in the pregnancy, I plan to make some more personalized clothing for our baby. I have an idea for a sweater, bootie and hat set in Mountie red. It would work well for both a girl and a boy. I also have an idea for something teacher related. Not that I plan to urge our child to go into either profession." She laughed.

Jack felt an overwhelming sense of love and appreciation for her just at that moment. He was so touched that she wanted to make something Mountie related. She never ceased to surprise him, He reached over and pulled her into a big hug. He pulled back slightly to kiss her gently. "I love you, Elizabeth Thornton. Now let's have something to eat."

After they finished their snack, Jack could see that Elizabeth was getting tired. He pulled her towards him, where she rested her head on his chest. He put his arm around her, gently caressing it until she fell asleep. He was quite content to just hold her and think about the events of the day. He laughed a little to himself about the comment she made about him being over protective of her now that she was pregnant. She did known him so well; but he had reason to want to be over protective and he hoped she would be willing to let him.

He remembered back to when they had only been married a few months. He had been called away on an assignment, the first one requiring him to be away from her for more than a day or two. He was worried about leaving her because she hadn't been feeling well. She sent him on his way, telling him she would be fine. He returned two weeks later, early in the afternoon and decided to go home first and clean up before picking her up at school. He was shocked to find her at home, curled up in a ball, crying. He had flown to her side, picking her up and asking what was wrong. She broke his heart when she told him what was wrong.

" _Jack," she had choked out. "I was so happy. I couldn't wait to tell you I was having a baby." Jack had started to smile but quickly realized that something wasn't right. She was clearly sobbing because she was sad. Then she said those horrible words. "Two days ago, I had a miscarriage. I lost our baby, Jack". She clung to him as she cried. He pulled her even closer to him, put his face in her hair and shed a few tears himself. "I am so sorry, Jack. I failed you."_

 _He pulled away from her and gently pulled her chin up so he could look into her eyes. "Elizabeth, Sweetheart. You did not fail me. Not one bit. I love you so much. And we will have a baby someday." He then drew her closer to him and they cried together over their loss._

Over the next year and a half, Elizabeth had begun to believe something more serious had happened when she had the miscarriage when she didn't get pregnant again. Jack had reassured her that God had a plan for them and when it was right, they would have that baby that they had long since planned for and wanted. Jack would make sure to it that Elizabeth didn't over do things and he didn't care if she became annoyed with him. She was doing the hard work in carrying the baby; the least he could do was make things easier around their home.


	5. Jack's Belated Birthday Gift

Jack's Belated Birthday Idea

 _Sorry for the delay. I had some writer's block with continuing this story._

Jack must have dozed off with Elizabeth in his arms. He abruptly woke up to see her still sleeping. He slowly reached down to get his pocket watch, then breathed a sigh of relief. It was only 1:30. He had plenty of time before he had to get going on the special birthday dinner he had planned for his beautiful wife and mother of his child. He stayed where he was, still holding her, thinking about the events of the day so far. He was ecstatic they were going to have a baby, and he knew she was too, but he couldn't get over the sadness she had in her eyes over Eric. He now remembered seeing that haunted, faraway look on her face on her previous birthdays, only she had tried to hide it better. He also remembered what she said this morning, that she thought he didn't hear. It was before she told him about her brother, when he had begged her to tell what was going on. He had said that maybe he could help her and she had whispered _I wish you could_.

Suddenly, he had an idea. He would see if he could find out any information about Eric for her. He had some connections through the Mounties that may be able to get some information for him. So did Bill, for that matter. He had to do this for her, even if the final outcome what that Eric was dead. She needed closure, a chance to move on with her life. A part of him hoped her brother was still alive and that he could be the one to bring him to Hope Valley for her.

He looked one more time at his sleeping wife, then gave her a gentle kiss on her lips to wake her up. "Elizabeth, Sweetheart. Wake up for me." He said. She slowly opened her eyes and smiled up at him. "I have to go into town. I realized I forgot something that I need to make your dinner. I will be back soon." He stood and held her hand for a moment.

"Ok, Jack." She whispered. She stretched a little, then said. "I think I will go back to bed and get some more sleep. I am exhausted."

Jack bent forward and slipped his hand under her back. "Let me carry you to bed and tuck you in." After he had done just that, he leaned down to kiss her once again. "Get some rest, Sweetheart. I will be back shortly."

Bill looked up from some paperwork, surprised to see Jack walking into the jail. "Jack, what are you doing here? I thought you were taking the day off to be with Elizabeth today. Don't tell me you had a fight."

Jack laughed a little. "No, we didn't have a fight. It's been a very special day for both of us." He smiled, as he thought about the baby. He knew he had to tell Bill but he knew Bill would keep the baby a secret. "Bill, Elizabeth actually had a present for me today."

"She did? What was it?"

"She gave me booties and a little hat." He watched Bill's face to see if the older man would catch on.

Bill thought about it, confused, then it dawned on him. "She is having a baby?"

Jack nodded, excitedly. "Yes she is."

Bill stood from the desk and walked to Jack with his hand extended. They shook hands, then Bill gave him a quick embrace. "Congratulation's, Daddy! You will make a great father."

"Thank you, Bill." He replied, then motioned for Bill to sit down again. "Bill, I need you to keep the baby news quiet for a while because I don't know when Elizabeth wants to announce it."

"Of course I will, Jack, but I can tell there is something else on your mind. What is it?

"Elizabeth told me something else today, something I never knew before. In fact, nobody here knows, including Abigail." Jack paused for a moment, then began telling Bill about Eric.

Bill had a shocked look on his face as Jack was talking. "Wow, Jack. I feel so bad for Elizabeth. The uncertainly of it, even after all these years have passed. She is a remarkable woman, handling this secret by herself until today."

"I know. I was thinking about it and I remembered seeing her sad on her birthday before, but I always thought it was because she didn't have her parents or sisters around to celebrate. I thought it was just her feeling homesick. The look was much deeper today. It broke my heart seeing her like that; so confused and lost, wondering where her brother might be." He paused, then continued. "Bill, I need to see what I can find out anything about Eric. Elizabeth deserves to have closure. I thought maybe if the inquiry came from me, The Army might reopen the case or tell me something that Elizabeth doesn't know. I have a few contacts that might help me out." He stopped for a moment. "I thought I could give her the answers she is looking for as a belated birthday present."

"Jack, I have some contacts too. I would be happy to help you find out. You are right; Elizabeth needs some answers, even if it means finding out Eric is dead." Bill stopped for a minute with a pensive look on his face. "Jack, why don't you let me handle the investigation? If you do it, the Army is going to find out that you are married to Elizabeth and they may not want to deal with you. I can say I was hired by the family to get some answers. They may still balk, but I might have an easier time with it."

Jack thought it over for a minute, then realized Bill was right. "OK, Bill. I appreciate it. I know Elizabeth will too."

"Good. Now get out of here. You have a birthday dinner to get started on." Bill got up and gave Jack a shove towards. "And my gift to the birthday girl is to take over rounds this weekend so you don't have to come into work. Spend some quality alone time with her. In a few months you won't have that much alone time anymore, enjoy it while you can."

"Thanks, Bill. For everything." Jack said as he left the jail. He walked over to the Mercantile; he wanted to see if Mr. Yost had any flowers and maybe get another little gift for Elizabeth. Jack was in luck. He was able to buy Elizabeth a beautiful heart shaped locket and her favorite flowers, pink roses. Soon he was walking home, whistling to himself, thinking about the wonderful night he had planned.

Elizabeth woke up with a start, jolting up in bed. Her heart was pounding. She realized she just had another one of her dreams about Eric, only this time, instead of dreaming his body had been located, he had been found, alive, living on some island no one knew about. She sat in bed, wondering why she had that particular dream. She finally shook it off, realizing it was just wishful thinking. She glanced at the clock and noted it was after 2. Her stomach growled; she put her hand on it. "Ok, little one. I get your message. Time for a snack." She got out of bed and slipped her robe on. She walked to the kitchen to get something to eat. She opened the ice box and pulled out some cheese and fruit, poured herself a glass of ice tea and sat down at the table to eat. She hadn't been there very long when she heard the door open. "I'm in the kitchen, Jack." She yelled out to him.

Jack came through the door and saw her, glad to see she was having a snack. "Hi, Beautiful!" He pulled something out from behind his back. "These are for you." He handed her the bouquet of roses.

She took them and brought the blooms to her nose. "Oh, Jack! My favorite and they smell so good. Thank you!" She started to stand to give him a kiss but he motioned for her to stay where she was. He leaned over and she brought her lips to his. "I love you, Jack."

"I love you too." He reached into his pocket, pulled out his other present. "This is also for you." He handed it to her.

"Jack, you are spoiling me today." She giggled and opened the box. "Oh, Jack! A locket! It's beautiful." She stood this time to give him another kiss. "Thank you."

"You're welcome, Sweetheart. You deserved to be spoiled today. Well, all weekend if you want. I ran into Bill while I was in town and he told me to take the weekend off to spend with you."

"Oh, Jack. A weekend together. I love it, but you don't have to spoil and pamper me all weekend."

"I know, but I want to."

She picked up her plate and went to put it in the sink. She refilled her drink, then went to kiss Jack again. "I am going to leave you now to your dinner plans. I am going to living room and take stock of how much yarn I have. I may start knitting a baby blanket."

"Ok, Sweetheart." He kissed her again, then watched her leave. He couldn't believe how blessed he was, having this wonderful, smart gorgeous woman love him and now she was going to have a baby, his baby, their baby. Life was good, he thought as he went to the cupboards and began pulling ingredients out to make dinner.

Several hours later, they were finishing up dinner. Jack had made a roast beef with mashed potatoes, gravy and roasted carrots. It was delicious.

"Jack, dinner was excellent. Thank you!"

"Anything for you, Elizabeth. Are you ready for dessert? I made you a cake."

"No thank you, Jack. I am stuffed."

Jack stood up and walked around the table to her place. He gently pulled her up and led her to the living room. He let go of her hand to walk to the Victrola. When music was playing he walked back to her and asked her to dance.

"I would love to." Elizabeth replied as she took his hand. He pulled her close to him and they swayed to the music. Elizabeth put her head down on his shoulder; she could just make out the sounds of his heart beating. She loved listening to his heart. She liked to imagine it was beating just for her.

Jack kissed her head, relishing the close moment they were having. He loved her so much. "What would you like to do tonight, Sweetheart?" He whispered in her ear, sending shivers up her spine.

She pulled her head back so she could look in his eyes. She saw love and passion there. "I was just thinking about taking a bubble bath and hoping my husband might join me."

His eyes twinkled. "I would love to take a bath with you." He took her by the hand and led her to the bathroom. He started the water while Elizabeth went to change. She joined just as he was pouring the bubbles into the water. He looked up when she walked in and was amazed by her beauty. "Elizabeth, you are breathtaking. You definitely have that glow people say pregnant women have."

She giggled a little. "Thank you." She said as she watched Jack take his clothes off. He climbed in first then took her in his arms after she sat down in the tub.

Once she was settled he started to massage her shoulders and arms, making her feel relaxed. His hands continued down her body, massaging as he went along, causing her to moan in pleasure. She began her own exploration of his body and his moans echoed hers; soon she had turned to face him in the water. She felt a fire in her body, one that was burning out of control. She kissed him then, slow and passionate. He returned the kiss, feeling the same fire in his own body, until he couldn't take it anymore. "Let's move this to the bed." He whispered and stood to get out of the tub. He wrapped a towel around himself and then helped her out. He took another towel and dried her off, before picking her up and carrying her to bed. She removed his towel and they continued where they left up in the tub, two souls becoming one until they both collapsed, spent but happy in each other's arms. They fell asleep that way, in the arms of the person they loved most in this world.


	6. Nightmares and Health Issues

_**About a week has passed since Elizabeth's birthday.**_

 _Elizabeth was collecting her things after dismissing her students for the day. She put her shawl on and had just picked up her basket when the door opened. Her heartbeat quickened, thinking Jack was coming to walk her home. Instead, two men in military uniforms walked in. "Are you Elizabeth Thatcher, I mean Thornton?"_

 _Elizabeth froze. If they were here to see her, it must be because they found Eric's body. As much as she wanted closure, she was dreading hearing those words. She took a deep breath. "I am."_

" _We have news for you about your brother, LT Eric Thatcher." He paused. "Ma'am, your brother had been found alive. He is in a hospital in Nova Scotia."_

 _The other man put his hand up. "No you are wrong. That isn't Eric Thatcher. Eric is dead. We have his body and would like to make arrangements with you for the burial."_

" _What are you two talking about?" She yelled at them. "How can you both come here and give me conflicting information?" She had angry tears falling down her cheeks._

 _Just at that moment, Jack walked into the schoolhouse. He had heard Elizabeth yelling. "What's the matter, Elizabeth? What is going on? Who are these men?" He walked to her and put his arm around her._

" _One is telling me Eric is dead, the other says he is alive. I don't understand what is going on!" She wailed._

 _Jack turned to the men with anger in his eyes. "How dare you come here and confuse my wife. She is pregnant and can't be upset like this. Tell her the truth!"_

 _Both men started jabbering at the same time, repeating what they had both told her. She brought her hands to her ear, trying to drown them out. Their voices kept getting louder and louder until she couldn't take it anymore. She screamed….._

"NOOOOOOO!" She bolted upright in bed, her whole body shaking and her heart pounding. She put her hand to her chest and tried taking deep, cleansing breaths.

Jack sat up in bed when he heard Elizabeth scream. He put his arms around her. "Sweetheart! What happened?"

"Oh, Jack! It was horrible. It was the worst dream I ever had." She was still shaking and breathing heavily. She turned to Jack and was about to talk when she felt her stomach turn over. She put her hand over her mouth and ran to the bathroom, with Jack hot at her heels. She sank to the floor in front of the toilet and began vomiting. Jack kneeled down beside her, pulling her hair away from her face and rubbing her back. When she was finished, he stood up, wetted down a face cloth and returned to Elizabeth. He pulled her close to him and began wiping down her face. She curled up against him, moaning softly as she felt the cool cloth on her face.

"Are you feeling better, Sweetheart? Do you want to go back to bed?" She nodded yes. He stood up, then gently pulled her up off the floor. She waivered a bit on her feet, causing him to hold her more firmly. He slowly walk her back to bed, pulled back the covers and helped her in. He quickly rounded the other side of the bed and got in next to her. She moved towards him, sinking into his embrace when he put his arms back around you. "Do you want to talk about the dream?" He asked softly.

"Yes, Jack." She took a deep breath before answering. "I dreamed two men from the Army stopped by the school house to talk to me about Eric. One said he was alive and in a hospital in Nova Scotia, the other said he was dead. They wouldn't get their stories straight, even after you came in. You were yelling at them for upsetting me…" She trailed off as she was starting to feel sick again.

Jack, who had been watching her face, noticed that she looked a little green. "Are you Ok?" She shook her head. She tried to take deep breaths, hoping she could calm her stomach down. It wasn't working. A few minutes later, she was running to the bathroom again, with Jack right behind her. When she was finished, he wiped down her face again then brought her back to bed.

Once she was back safely in his arms, he began massaging her shoulders and upper arm, trying to get her to relax. He was worried about her; clearly the bad dream was having an effect on her morning sickness. He wanted her to try to relax and put the dream out of her mind.

A few minutes later, she pushed herself up from his chest. "Jack?"

He looked into her face, while still pale, was absolutely beautiful. "What is it, Sweetheart?"

"I think I would like to try to eat something and have some mint tea. I don't have the energy to go make it myself. Would you…." Her words trailed off as he put a finger to her lips, silencing her.

"Of course I will get something to eat for you. Do you want dry toast with your tea?"

"Yes, please." She kissed him.

He got out of bed, came over to her side. "Let me help you sit up." He gently pull her to a sitting position, then fluffed her pillow and leaned it in front of the headboard. He pushed her back, tucking the covers around her. "There you go. Just sit here for a few minutes and close your eyes. I will be back soon." He started to leave the bedroom, but turned to look back at her one more time. She had already closed her eyes but he could see the toll the dream was having on her. He was sure she had other nightmares too, but she hadn't told him about it. He wished she would talk to him about them, but he didn't want to push her. She would tell him when she was ready.

Once Jack had left, Elizabeth started to cry. She didn't think she could handle any more of these dreams. The dreams had been coming more frequently; she had started with only one a night, but now she was having two or three. She had been trying to hide them from Jack, but she figured he knew. She decided she needed to talk to him about the dreams. Maybe if she did, the dreams would stop. She quickly dried her tears when she heard Jack coming back to the bedroom.

Jack walked in with a tray and put it in front of his wife. He noticed she had been crying. He went to his side of the bed and got back in. He caressed her arm while she ate, letting her know without words that he would be there for her no matter what. She looked over at him and smiled, which warmed his heart. He started to feel better about things with her.

When she finished her toast, Elizabeth decided it was time to tell him about her dreams. "Jack, I need to talk to you about my dreams." She chewed on her lip for a minute. She was so used to keeping anything regarding Eric to herself.

Jack noticed her hesitation. "What is it, Sweetheart? You know you can tell me anything."

"I know. You'll have to forgive me. I am used to not talking to people about my brother so it's going to take me time to adjust." She paused. "I think you know I have been having more dreams than just the one today." He nodded. "It started the day I told you about the baby and Eric. You had gone to town and I was napping. I woke up from a dream where I was told Eric was alive. I had never dreamed that before. Usually my dreams are about how he died." She felt the dam start to break as tears started down her cheeks.

Jack reached over and wiped the tears away. He put his arm around her. "What do you mean by how he died?"

"Well, I do not know for sure what happened. It's just my imagination playing horrible tricks while I am sleeping. I see him in his plane and I am watching him while I am standing on a beach. I turn my eyes away for a minute to watch a little girl playing in the sand and then I hear an explosion. I look up to see his plane on fire, falling into the ocean." Her tears keep falling down her face.

Jack turned her to face him and pulls her into his arms. "Oh, Elizabeth! How horrible! You have never shared this dream with anyone until today, to me?" She shakes her head. He kept his arms around her, gently rocking her back and forth, whispering in her ears that he loved her and will always be there for her. "Are you still having that dream?"

"No I am not. Ever since I had the dream he was alive, I dream the Army comes to Hope Valley to tell me he is alive or that they found his body. Today was the first time I ever had one where one officer tells me he is dead and the other says he is alive."

Jack sat there thinking about her dreams. They started on her birthday, the day he decided to inquire about Eric. He wondered if her "twin sense" was subconsciously telling her what he was doing. He felt guilty; he had thought he was helping her out but maybe he should have just well enough alone. He needed to tell her what he was doing, in hopes that maybe it would stop her dreams. "Elizabeth?"

"What is it, Jack? Is something wrong?"

He took a breath. "Maybe. I don't know how to tell you this, but I think maybe I am the reason you are having these dreams."

"You? How could you be the cause? You have been nothing but kind and helpful while I have been going through this."

"Elizabeth, when I went into town on your birthday, I went to talk to Bill. I had this idea that maybe he and I could find out what happened with your brother." She gasped and brought her hand to her mouth. "I wanted to find out where he was for you, even if it meant finding his body. I wanted you to have closure." He frowned and had tears in his eyes as he felt the guilt settle deeper within himself.

Elizabeth brought her hand to his face and pulled it up. "Oh, Jack! That is the nicest, sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me and I love you for it." She kissed him on his lips.

He looked at her, shocked by her reaction. "You are not angry?"

"Not at all. I understand now why those dreams started up again. It was my "twin sense" again." She paused for a moment, then kissed him again. "I am so lucky. I have the best husband in the whole world. A man who loves me so much he wants to solve all my problems, no matter how painful they may be. A man who would stand by me and comfort me when I need comforting."

Jack pulled her into his arms and kissed her. "I have the best wife in the world. So understanding." He hugged her. "And I love her with all my heart."

"I love you, Jack. Thank you for trying to find out about Eric. You will never know how much that means to me." She snuggled into his embrace. "Jack? Could we go for a walk around the pond? I feel like getting some air."

"I would love to, Elizabeth. Let me take care of your dishes and then we can get dressed." He kissed her on her forehead before leaving the room with the tray.

Elizabeth started to get out of bed when she felt her stomach start to cramp a little. She thought back to her miscarriage but remembered that the pain had been much worse then. She realized maybe her stomach muscles were sore from the vomiting. She pulled back the covers and got out of bed. She went to her dresser to pull out her undergarments and brought them back to bed. It was then that she noticed blood on the sheets. It wasn't a lot but it but it worried her. She took her nightgown off and noticed more blood. "Oh no! Please G-d, not again!" She felt tears come to her eyes. "JACK, HELP ME!" She screamed as she felt the pain in her stomach increase.

Jack came running down the hall and flew to her side. "What is it?" He looked at the fear in her face and tears running down her checks. "What's wrong?"

"Jack, get the doctor! I am having cramps and I am bleeding. I can't have another miscarriage, I can't!"

Jack felt fear run through his body like he never felt before. "Let me help you back into bed and then I will get the doctor." He felt tears come to his eyes. The fear he felt was mirrored in her face.

Once she was settled, he dressed in record time and ran all the way to town. He ran up the steps to Dr. Matthews's office and began pounding on the door. "Dr. Matthews! Elizabeth needs you" He yelled.

Dr. Matthews opened the door. "Jack, what is going on?"

"Elizabeth is having cramps and she is bleeding. She thinks it may be another miscarriage. Please you have to come right away!"

Dr. Matthews nodded and ran back in to get his medical bag. "Let's go. My horse and buggy are still outside. You can ride back with me." They both ran down the stairs and jumped in the buggy. After what seemed like an eternity to Jack but was only a matter of minutes, they were back at the Thornton home. Both men ran into the house and Jack led the doctor to the bedroom.

Elizabeth was still crying but looked relieved to see the doctor. "Thank you for coming. I am so scared! I can't bear it if I lost another baby. Please help me!" She cried. Jack went around to the other side of the bed and held her hand as Dr. Matthews started taking out instruments.

"Elizabeth, try to take some deep breaths. We need to get you calmed down." She nodded. "Tell me how it started."

"Jack and I had decided to go for a walk. As I started to get out of bed to get my clothes, I felt some cramping in my stomach. I thought it was from vomiting this morning. Once I was out of bed, I noticed come blood on the sheets. It wasn't a lot and I remembered Abigail telling me the last time that some bleeding can occur. When I pulled my nightgown off, I saw more blood and then the cramping became more painful."

"Abigail is correct about the bleeding, some is normal. I would be more concerned if you were having heavier bleeding, like if you were having your cycle, but given your history of a previous miscarriage, it is better to check you out." He picked up his stethoscope and brought it to her abdomen. He heard a strong heartbeat. He then examined her belly. He smiled before turning to them. "I hear a strong heartbeat and everything feels normal in your belly."

Elizabeth let out a huge sigh. "Thank goodness! I was so worried." She turned to Jack and could see the relief on his face and tears of happiness in his eyes. They hugged before Elizabeth turned back to the doctor. "Thank you, so much Dr. Matthews. Is there anything I should do or not do to avoid this happening again?"

"Have you been under a lot of stress lately? Sometimes an attack like this is stress related."

Elizabeth and Jack looked at each other. They knew what had been stressing her out. "Yes I have been. It's a long story but I have been having nightmares because of it. Today I had the worst one yet. I ended up having the worst morning sickness I have yet experienced with this pregnancy."

"Ah, I see. Is there any way you can eliminate the stress?"

"I think we may have it solved now. I won't be sure until I go to sleep tonight."

"Elizabeth, I would like to recommend at least a week of bedrest. It will give you time to get yourself relaxed and it would help your abdominal muscles. I think your instinct about pulling something while you were vomiting is correct. I will come by every couple of days to check on you."

"All right, Doctor."

"You don't have to stay in this room the whole time. Moving to the sofa or going to sit outside if the weather is warm enough is acceptable. No housework or cooking."

"I understand, Dr. Matthews. Thank you for coming out so quickly."

"You're welcome. Now if you feel more pain or have more bleeding in the meantime send Jack to get me." He packed up his bag and started to leave. Jack got up to walk him to the door but the doctor waived him off. "I will see myself out. Remember, get plenty of rest, Elizabeth."

As soon as they heard the front door close, they were throwing their arms around each other, comforting each over the terrible experience they just had. Thank the Lord that it wasn't serious.

Jack pulled away first and leaned in to kiss her. "I think what just happened took ten years off my life. I was so scared, as I know you were too."

"I know. I am so relieved." She brought a hand to his cheek and caressed it. "I plan on getting as much rest as possible this week. There is no way I am going to risk losing this baby, not after what we have been through."

"And I am going to make sure you get that bedrest. I am going to ask Bill if he could handle rounds for me this week. I am going to stay home with you and do whatever you need done."

"Jack, you don't have to do that. I can be by myself for part of the day. Abigail would even come out to stay with me if we asked."

"I know she would but I want to take care of you. I feel so guilty about this. If I hadn't started digging around about Eric you wouldn't have been having those dreams." He looked away from her.

Elizabeth pulled his face back up so she could look into his eyes. "Jack, don't even think that. It is not your fault. This has happened to me before, only not as scary since I was pregnant at the time. Sure the dreams were more vivid than before but that is because of hormones. There is nothing for you to feel guilty about. You were just trying to help me and I appreciate it, just as I appreciate you wanting to take time off to take care of me."

He took her hand and brought it to his lips. "Thank you for saying that." He gently brought her head towards his and kissed her. "A walk is out of the question for you. How about you go take a warm bath and I will change the sheets off the bed while you are in the tub? A warm bath may help your sore tummy muscles."

"That sounds heavenly."

Jack got out of bed and started the bath for her. He came back to help her up and get her nightgown off, then got her settled in the tub. "Call me when you are ready to get out. I will have a clean nightgown for you too." He started to leave the bathroom, but he turned back and walked over to her. "I love you so much, Elizabeth Thornton. I love both of you." He stuck his hand in the water and place it on her belly. Then he left.

Elizabeth leaned her head back and relaxed in the warm water. It did make her stomach feel better. She thought about what had just happened and how much it had frightened both her and Jack. They had come through it together, just as they always did, stronger and more in love with each other than they ever were.


	7. Bed Rest and Good Dreams

Bedrest

"Jack?" Elizabeth called when she was finished in the bath.

Jack hurried in the bathroom. "Are you ready to get out?" He asked, already reaching for a towel.

"Yes I am." She took hold of the hand he offered her. He gently helped her out and wrapped the towel around her, drying her off. He took her hand and let her to the bedroom, where he had already changed the sheets. He went to her drawer and pulled out a clean nightgown and helped her put it on. Elizabeth had wanted to tell him she could have done all herself, but she knew he was still feeling a little guilty for her nightmares. It was so sweet that he wanted to anything he could for her.

"Let's get you back into bed." He lifted up the covers and she slid in. "Do you feel like taking a nap?"

"Actually, no. Would you bring me the book I have been reading? I left it in on the coffee table in the living room."

"Of course, Sweetheart." A couple of minutes later, he was back, also carrying her craft basket. "I brought this too because I need to run into town to talk to Bill and I want to make sure you don't have to get out of bed too often while I am gone."

"Thank you."

"Do you need anything else before I go? Something to eat?"

"No thank you. Between the dreams and the scare we had, I am not hungry. I have crackers in here if I feel like eating in a little while."

"OK. Would you like me to stop in at the café? I could get us dinner and let Abigail know what is going on."

"Yes, please stop and see Abigail."

He leaned down to kiss her. "I won't stay in town too long. I love you."

"I love you too."

Jack paused in the door way to look at her, then made his way back to her. He sat down on the side of the bed and took her hand in his. He brought it to his lips and whispered. "I love you so much." He brought his lips to hers, giving her a sweet kiss. "I will see you in a little while." He got up, went to the door, took one last glance at her and left. When Elizabeth heard the door close, she leaned back on her pillow and let out a deep breath.

Jack went immediately to the jail, but found it empty. He decided he would head to the café to talk to Abigail. He walked in and found Bill and Abigail having tea. Abigail motioned for him to join them.

"Jack, is something wrong with Elizabeth? I saw you in Dr. Matthew's buggy, flying out of here."

"Abigail, Bill that is why I am here. We had a scare this morning. Elizabeth felt cramps and was bleeding." Abigail gasped, remembering the miscarriage Elizabeth had. "Everything is ok. Dr. Matthews thinks it was stress related and put her on at least a week bedrest."

"Stress? From what?" Bill asked.

"That's a long story." Jack explained the dreams and her bad morning sickness.

"Oh, poor Elizabeth." Abigail's face expressed sympathy. "Is there anything I can do for her, well both of you?"

"Yes, Jack. I would like to help too. Do you want me to fill in for you so you can stay home and take care of Elizabeth?"

"Thank you, Bill. I actually came to town to discuss that with you. I would appreciate that. I don't want to leave her alone for too long."

"Done, Jack. You spend the week caring for her, making sure she rests."

"Jack, if you need to get away at any point, I can come visit. I will also bring food out to the house so you don't have to worry about meals. Take this time to spend with each other."

"Thank you, both of you." He felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. "Abigail I would like to take some dinner home for her, well us."

"Of course, but it's early. I will put together a basket with tonight's dinner and some baked good for breakfast tomorrow. I can bring it out to the house later."

"Or I can bring it by for you, Abigail." Bill replied.

"Thank you so much." Jack said with emotion. "You two are the best friends anyone ever had."

Abigail squeezed his hands. She could tell that Jack felt guilty about what was happening with Elizabeth. She wanted to tell him that there was no need to be, but she didn't think he would believe her. "Jack, before you head home, why don't you go to the Mercantile? Mr. Yost got some fresh flowers in and I saw a pretty nightgown that I think will look great on Elizabeth. It was a short sleeved satin gown the color of her eyes with white flowers on it and it had a matching robe. She might enjoy wearing that while she is on bedrest." She watched Jack's face light up.

"Thank you, Abigail. That's a great idea. I will head right over." Jack jumped up from his chair, with a grin on his face. "Thank you both for helping me." He was out the door before either Abigail or Bill could say anything.

Despite what she had said to Jack before he left, Elizabeth was feeling tired. She set her book aside and scooted down in the bed, turning on her side and adjusting the covers around her. She was soon asleep and dreaming, but this time it was about a handsome little boy about four years old with brown hair, her blue eyes and Jack's dimpled grin. Jack was teaching him how to fish out of their pond while she rested on a blanket, while her hand was caressing her belly. She was pregnant again; they were all so happy. Elizabeth smiled in her sleep at the pleasant dream.

That was how Jack found her when he returned home. Asleep with a smile on her face. The sight warmed his heart. Oh how he loved this woman. He sat down of the bed, wanting to wake her up but also knowing she needed sleep. His decision was made for him when Elizabeth began to stir. She opened her eyes and turned, the smile on her face growing when she saw her husband looking at her with love in his eyes.

"Jack," She whispered. "You're home!" She pushed herself up to give him a kiss.

He kissed her back with all the love he felt in his heart. "I see you had a nice rest. You had a smile on your face."

There was a twinkle in her eye when she responded. "Oh, Jack! I had the most wonderful dream!" He could tell that she was excited about it and he felt her joy and happiness over it.

"Well, don't just sit there." He teased. "Tell me about it!"

"I dreamed about the most adorable little boy. He was about four years old and he had my eyes and your hair and dimples. You were out by the pond with him, teaching him how to fish." As she was speaking he could picture it in his mind. Him showing his, their son how to fish. "Then I saw myself sitting on a blanket watching you, and I rubbing my belly. I was pregnant again!"

"Elizabeth! What a beautiful dream!" He reached over to her to give her a big hug. "Keep having those dreams, Sweetheart! And always tell me about them."

"I will, I promise. I am so happy I had a pleasant dream. I am hoping that means my bad dreams about Eric are over."

"Me too." He got up briefly to get her the presents he brought home. "I got you some gifts while I was in town." He pulled a bouquet of pink roses and white carnations out from behind his back.

"Oh, Jack! They are beautiful!"

"They are but you are more beautiful." He said before he handed a box. "Here is something else for you."

"Jack, you spoil me, but thank you." She opened the box, pushed back the tissue paper to reveal the nightgown and robe set. She pulled the gown out of the box. "Oh, Jack! The nightgown is lovely! And it has a matching robe! Thank you!" She pulled on his arm to bring him down so she could give him a kiss.

"I can't take all the credit for it. Abigail had seen it and thought it would look nice on you. When I saw it, I agreed. You deserve to wear something pretty while you rest."

"Will you help me put it on?" She asked

"Of course!" He pulled back the covers and helped her get out of bed slowly. He pulled her white cotton gown over her head; he couldn't help but look for a moment at her body. She was gorgeous. Even with the day she had, she was glowing. He then picked up the satin gown and pulled it down her body. He felt his heart skip a beat over how beautiful she looked. "Elizabeth, you look amazing!"

She blushed a little but was pleased with his reaction. "Thank you again, Jack. The silk feels amazing against my skin." She stood on her tip toes to give him a kiss. The kiss became more passionate, before they both pulled away at the same moment. They wanted to make love, but they both knew it was too soon for Elizabeth. She needed the rest and they both didn't want anything to happen to this baby.

"I am sorry, Jack. I shouldn't have kissed you that way." She turned away and started to get back into bed.

"No, stop Elizabeth. It's not your fault. We both wanted it but we both stopped, knowing this wasn't the right time. Don't feel bad about the kiss." He gently turned her towards him. "We both love each other so much and I know it's hard to be together without wanting to make love. But I think we are both strong enough to be able to spend time together this week without making love. It will be hard, but God wouldn't give us problems he didn't think we could not handle."

She looked up at him, with love in her eyes. "You're right, Jack. And I look forward to spending quality time together, whatever we do." She kissed him on the cheek, then nodded towards the bed, indicating she wanted to get back in. He pulled the covers back then went around to his side and climbed in with her. He put his arm around her and held her gently. "Jack, how did it go with Bill and Abigail?"

"It went fine. Bill offered to take over for me before I had a chance to ask. Abigail said she could come out and stay with you if you would like and she is also going to prepare meals for us. She wants us to try and enjoy this time together. So either she or Bill will be dropping by later today."

"We are so blessed, Jack. We have wonderful friends and we have a deep love for each other that grows every day. And we will soon hold the product of our love in our arms." She snuggled into his arms. "I love you so much, Jack. Thank you for loving me and taking care of me."

"I love you too, Sweetheart. There isn't any other place I would rather be, then right here, loving you and caring for you." He gave her a kiss on her forehead.

They held each other for several minutes before they were interrupted by Elizabeth's stomach growling. They both laughed. "Ok, little one. I get your message. It's time for something to eat." Elizabeth placed a hand on her abdomen and gently rubbed it. She started to sit up in bed and get out, when Jack stopped her.

"You stay right here, Elizabeth. I will get you and our baby a snack. Is there anything special you would like?"

Before she had a chance to answer, there was a knock at their door. "Hold that thought." Jack said as he went to answer the door. He returned quickly with Abigail, who was holding a basket.

Abigail handed the basket to Jack and walked over to the bed. She gave Elizabeth a quick hug. "How are you feeling, Elizabeth?"

"I feel much better, Abigail. I had a wonderful dream about the future while Jack was in town and I feel so much better about things."

"I can see that." Abigail laughed as she looked at the big smile on her friend's face and how alive her eyes looked. She was about to say something else when Elizabeth's stomach let its presence known again. "I see, or rather hear, I got here just in time. I brought food for you."

"Thank you, Abigail. I really appreciate what you are doing for us."

"I brought you chicken and dumplings for dinner as well as some cheese, fruit, veggie sticks and biscuits. There are also muffins, scones and cookies."

"Sounds heavenly. Jack, I would love some of the cheese and fruit."

"You got it. I will be right back." Jack left the room and went to the kitchen to make her plate and put the rest of the food away.

Abigail stayed with Elizabeth. "I am so happy you are feeling better. Keep having positive, happy dreams and you will be back to normal sooner than you know it." She squeezed her hand.

"That's what I am telling myself. I can't keep having nightmares like I had. It's not good for me or the baby. I would do anything to keep the baby safe. I would go on bedrest of the remainder of the pregnancy if I had to. It would be hard but I know I could do it."

"Of course you could. And you wouldn't be doing it alone either. That husband of yours would move Heaven and Earth for you and your unborn baby. Bill and I would help you too."

"Abigail, Jack and I feel so blessed to have good friends like you."

Just then, Jack returned with a tray of cheese, grapes and apple slices. He also had two glasses of lemonade, freshly made by Abigail. Abigail stood from the bed so that Jack could place the tray in front of Elizabeth. "I see I am leaving you in good hands, Elizabeth. I will come by to see you tomorrow." Abigail gave Elizabeth another hug, patted Jack on the arm before leaving.

Elizabeth took a piece of cheese and started eating while Jack resumed his spot beside her on the bed. "I hope you don't mind sharing your snack. I was hungry too."

She waved her hand over the tray and smiled. "Help yourself."

Jack grabbed an apple slice and took a bite. "We are so lucky to have wonderful friends, like Abigail and Bill. Plus the whole town. Anyone would help us out if we needed it."

"They would. It's a wonderful feeling having so many people here that love us and would do almost anything to help us out. That is what I love about Hope Valley. It's a help your neighbor kind of town. I wouldn't have this kind of friendship in a city like Hamilton and that small town feeling is what drew me to Hope Valley." She leaned over and kissed him on the lips. They truly were blessed.


	8. Morning Sickness Troubles

The week of bedrest was coming to a close and Elizabeth had stopped having nightmares about Eric. The only problem she was still having was morning sickness. It was getting worse by the day and both she and Jack were getting more and more concerned. She was having a hard time keeping food down. She had only managed to keep down a little toast and some chicken broth, but she had felt extremely nauseous right after. As the week continued she wasn't able to keep anything down, including water. She felt like she had lost weight.

Jack woke up around seven o'clock and looked over at Elizabeth. He was thankful that she was still sleeping; the last couple of mornings she had gotten sick between five and six. He hadn't been sleeping that well since the morning sickness had gotten worse. Every little movement she made, he would feel. He was frightened by what was happening to her. The only saving grace was Dr. Matthews was due to come by to check on her. He had been out of town for a couple of days so he had not been out to see her since Sunday.

He felt movement next to him and turned to see Elizabeth waking up. She immediately put a hand to her stomach and her face turned slightly green. "I won't ask how you are feeling. Do you want me to get you some toast and tea?

Elizabeth brought her hand to her mouth and shook her head no. Jack could tell she was trying hard to calm her stomach, and it wasn't succeeding. She threw back the covers and made the now familiar run to the bathroom with Jack at heals. She dropped to her knees in front of the toilet and began to vomit. Jack pulled her hair back from her face and rubbed her back in soothing circles. He felt so helpless when she was sick like this. He wished with everything in him that he could take some of the morning sickness away from her.

It seemed like hours before she was finished vomiting. Jack continued their routine by getting up, wetting down a towel and wiping her face. Then he slowly and gently help her up and brought her back to bed. He quickly got back in bed himself and pulled her in to his arms. Elizabeth liked being held by him after her bouts of sickness and he obliged her. It made him feel a little useful. He kissed the top of her head and began drawing lazy circles on her arm with his fingers.

Elizabeth lifted her head up slowly to look at him. "Thank heavens Dr. Matthews is coming by today. I hope he can help me with this morning sickness."

"I hope so too, Sweetheart. It breaks my heart seeing you this way. I wish there was a way I could help you."

She looked at him, surprised. "Jack, you do help me. You pull away my hair when I am sick and rub my back. You wipe down my face and you tuck me back in bed. You hold me after, knowing how much I love it after I am sick. That means so much to me."

He reached over to caress her cheek. "I know, but I wish there was some way I could take the sickness away from you. If there was something I could make that would calm your stomach." He balled up the hand that wasn't holding her and slammed it down on the bed. "I feel so useless!"

Elizabeth slowly sat up in bed, grateful for the moment that she didn't feel sick. "Jack, stop that this minute! You are helping me more than you know. A lot of men wouldn't care that their wives were this sick. They would think that it's all part of being pregnant and let her deal with it on her own. You haven't done that. Even when you return to work next week, you will try to make things easier for me here while you are gone."

Jack closed his eyes for a moment. He was dreading returning to work but he knew he had to. "Thank you, Elizabeth, for saying that." He leaned over to kiss her then slowly pulled her back down in his embrace. They laid there quietly for a while before Elizabeth dozed off. Jack wanted to go back to sleep but he couldn't. He was so worried about her his mind wouldn't let him rest. He just held her until he heard a knock at their front door. _Hopefully that's the doctor_ he thought to himself. He tried to get out of bed without waking Elizabeth but it didn't work. "I think the doctor is here, Sweetheart. I am going to let him in."

She nodded and watched him leave. A minute later Jack returned with Dr. Matthews following right behind. "Good Morning, Dr. Matthews. I am glad to see you." She said.

"Good Morning, Elizabeth, but from what Jack told me, it really hasn't been a good morning for you, all week." He put his medical bag on the bed. "I am sorry I haven't been able to stop by before today. I got called out of town on an emergency. So tell me what has been going on."

"Well, the good news is I stopped having the nightmares. The real problem is….."She trailed off, as she started to feel sick again. She pulled off the covers and ran to the bathroom. Jack and Dr. Matthews quickly followed. They were in the bathroom for about thirty minutes.

Once Elizabeth was safely tucked back in bed, she continued. "As you could see the real problem is the morning sickness. It has been steadily getting worse since you were here last. I can't seem to keep anything down, even water." She paused for a moment. "I have also lost some weight."

"That's not good. You need to be eating and drinking something. Let me give you and examination and after I can discuss a treatment plan." Dr. Matthews took his stethoscope out of his bag and listened to her heart. He then checked her pulse. Both were fast but that was common given what she was going through. "Elizabeth, I think you have a condition in pregnancy that causes extreme morning sickness. Fortunately we caught this early, before you lost too much weight and ended up dehydrated."

"What is the treatment, Doc?" Jack asked, still worried but also relieved at the same time that the doctor knew what it was.

"I want Elizabeth to remain on bedrest for the time being. Trying to get up to go to work can exacerbate the condition. I am going to prescribe an anti-nausea medication to control the vomiting." He turned to look at his patient. "Elizabeth, once you get the vomiting under control, which hopefully will be in a day or two, I want you to start having a liquid diet. Some of Abigail's chicken broth would work and also start drinking tea and water. Don't put any cream in the tea. Once you can keep the liquids done, slowly start eating solid foods. At first, stick to dry toast and saltine crackers. I will come by to check on you every day for now, to make sure things are getting better. Of course, if you get worse, send Jack to get me immediately."

Jack and Elizabeth looked at each, both relieved that the doctor had a plan for her. "Thank you, Dr. Matthews." Jack reached out to shake his hand.

"Now, Jack. I know you took this week off to be with Elizabeth, which has been good. Would you be able to take a few more days off to stay with her? I would feel better knowing she had someone in the house with her in case things get worse."

"I am sure it won't be a problem. I can always take some of the paper work home with me to work on so that Bill doesn't have to deal with it. I agree that I would rather be home with her. I don't think I could get anything done anyway with her like this."

"Good. I am going back to town now. I am going to get the pills for you, Elizabeth and be back later. With them in a little while. I want you to take them three times a day. Try to see if you can swallow the pill without water for now. If you can't, take the smallest sip of water you can. I want you to be able to keep the pill down."

"Yes, Doctor."

"See you in a little while. No need to show me out, Jack." He picked up his medical bag and left.

Jack got back into bed with Elizabeth. "I am so glad he knows what it is and that we have a treatment plan for you. It takes some of the worry away from me." He kissed her gently on the lips, then pulled her into his embrace. "Let's cuddle here for a while and just rest. We both could use it."

"I love that idea." She said with a smile on her face, the first one to grace her face since the morning sickness began to take its toll. They soon fell into a much needed sleep for both of them.

A couple of hours later, Elizabeth woke up to the sound of knocking at their front door. She turned to Jack to try to wake him up. She kissed him on his cheek and whispered in his ear. "Jack, wake up."

He bolted upright in bed and looked at her with a worried expression on his face. "What? What's the matter, Elizabeth? Are you sick again?" He was about to jump out of bed to help her when he heard a knocking at the door.

"That's why I woke you up Jack."

He sheepishly smiled at her. "Ok, I'll go get the door. It must be Dr. Matthews back with your medicine." He left the room and walked to the front door. When he opened it, he didn't find Dr. Matthews but rather Abigail and Bill. "Hello Abigail and Bill. What are you doing here?" He stepped aside to let them in.

"Dr. Matthews stopped by the café to talk to me about Elizabeth. Bill was there and he explained what is going on." Abigail explained. "I feel so bad about Elizabeth. I know she won't be able to have this yet, but I had been working on a chicken broth today. If you stick it in your ice box it should still be good in a couple of days."

"Thank you, Abigail. You're the best."

"It's nothing, Jack. I also brought you some dinner for tonight. I can't imagine you have been eating that well yourself." She smiled. "I am going to put away the food then go talk to Elizabeth." She left the men in the living room.

"Jack, I want you to take some more time off to be with Elizabeth. You need to be with her now. I will handle the jail and rounds for as long as you need."

Jack let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Bill. That means a lot to me. If you want, drop by with some of the paper work you have. I can work on it here while she rests."

"I might just do that, Jack but I think you should get some rest too. I can tell you haven't been sleeping much since this started."

"I haven't, no. It's been so hard watching Elizabeth suffer like this. I feel so useless." He balled his hand up in a fist. "I just wish there was something more I could do for her than wipe her face and hold her after. She loves being in my arms after getting sick."

"Jack, you may not think it's nothing but to her it's everything. I know she appreciates what you can do for her."

Jack felt a little better. "That's what she said."

"Then believe her." Bill gave Jack a slight smack on his back. "Let's go down and see her. Dr. Matthews gave me the medication he wants Elizabeth to start taking." He pulled the bottle out of his pocket and handed it to Jack.

"Wonderful! Here's hoping it works."

The two men walked down the hall to the master bedroom. Abigail was sitting on the bed talking to Elizabeth. Bill made his way over to the bed and squeezed Elizabeth's hand. "I hope you start feeling better soon, Elizabeth. Everyone in town is asking about you. Especially your students."

"I miss them so much. Would you tell them I miss them?"

"Of course." Bill put his hand on Abigail's shoulder. "We should head back to town and let Elizabeth and Jack get some rest."

Abigail nodded as she stood up. She gave Elizabeth a hug. "Let me know if either of you need anything. Anything at all, at any time. Don't be afraid to wake me."

"Same goes for me." Bill agreed.

"Thank you both, so much." Elizabeth said with tears in her eyes. "I really appreciate what you are doing for me, well doing for both of us."

Abigail gave her another hug and then left the room with Bill following close behind. A moment later Jack and Elizabeth heard their front door close.

"Abigail and Bill are such great friends, aren't they?" Elizabeth said.

"The best friends." Jack agree. He sat down next to her and opened the pill bottle. "Time to take your medicine." He handed her a pill.

She held it up in the air for a moment and said. "Here's hoping I can keep it down." She put it in her mouth and swallowed.

"Is there anything else I can get you?"

"Yes." She looked at him. "You in bed with me holding me in your arms. I don't think we will be disturbed anymore today by guests. We both need some sleep."

Jack got up and for the first time in days, felt hope that Elizabeth might start feeling better soon. He happily took her in his arms and soon they were both asleep.

 _Will Dr. Matthew's treatment plan work?_


	9. News of Eric

A few days had passed since Elizabeth was diagnosed with excessive morning sickness. The pills had worked. Elizabeth was only throwing up a couple of times a day, mostly in the morning. She had managed to keep down liquids and today she was going to try solid foods. Jack was making her some oatmeal while she rested in bed.

She must have dozed off because the next thing she knew, she had woken up from a dream. This time Eric was alive and he had found out she was now living in Hope Valley. He had shown up at her door and when she opened it, she fainted when she saw him. It seem so real to her; she could feel a tingle go up and down her spine, something that only happed when something good had happened to her twin. She didn't know what to make of the dream.

Jack entered the bedroom and put the tray on the bed for her. He help her sit up then got into bed with her. "Eat up, Sweetheart. The baby needs some nourishment."

"I will try." She said as she dug a spoon into her oatmeal. The first few bites seemed to be sitting well in her stomach. She could feel Jack watching her while she ate and turned to look at him. "Why are you looking at me that way?"

"You seem pensive about something. I was wondering what it was."

Jack knew her all too well. Nothing got past him. It was his Mountie Training. "I dozed off while you were making my breakfast. I had another dream." She filled him, ending with how she had felt the all too familiar but not frequent tingle down her spine. "I am not sure what it means, Jack but it did trouble me."

"I can see why. The next time Bill comes by I will ask him how the search is going."

"Have I thanked you enough for starting the search up again?"

"Yes you have but sometimes it's nice to be thanked and appreciated again." He winked at her and flashed his dimples at her.

She put her spoon down and leaned over to kiss him. "Thank you, Jack for loving me, for being my best friend and for always being there for me. I love you with all my heart."

"Thank you for being my only one, for supporting me and loving me." He returned her kiss.

Elizabeth smiled at him then went back to eating her breakfast. She was able to eat about half of her oatmeal. The doctor had said she might not be hungry enough for a full portion; he said it was ok as long as she was able to eat and keep the food down. Jack returned her tray to the kitchen, then came back to the bedroom to hold her for a while. She fell asleep in his arms. He loved holding her while she slept, hearing her rhythmic breathing and looking at her angel face.

At the jail, Bill was reading a report about his search for Eric Thatcher. The report stated that a man was recently found on an island of the Eastern Canadian coast that may match the description of Eric. The man was found emaciated and had some memory problems. The report said the doctor's treating him had not been able to confirm or deny that the man was Eric. They did say the man mentioned having a twin sister but they could not get a name out of him. The authorities asked Bill if he could bring Elizabeth out to Nova Scotia, where the man was in the hospital in hopes that the patient might recognize his sister.

Bill sat back in his chair and thought about the report. He did not want to ask Elizabeth to make that journey. She was still recovering from the extreme morning sickness, although Jack had said she was getting better. He also did not want to put her through it if it turned out the man was not her brother. It would be hard for anyone to experience let alone for a pregnant woman. He felt his best option was to talk to Jack privately and see if he wanted Bill to travel to Nova Scotia alone with pictures of Elizabeth.

Just then Abigail walked into the jail with lunch for him. "Hello, Bill." She said as she set down the basket. "My goodness, you like you are puzzled by something. Is there anything I can help with or is it private Mountie business?"

He stood up to give Abigail a kiss. "No, it's not Mountie business. I got some information on Eric Thatcher and I am trying to decide the best way to respond to it."

"What did you find out?"

"Well, he may be alive and in a hospital in Nova Scotia." Bill filled her in on what the report said. "They want me to bring Elizabeth out there to identify him. I can't do that to her, not with the condition she is in now. And what if I do bring her and the man is not her brother? I just can't do that to her."

"No, you can't. Even if she was well enough for travel, if you went there with her and it turns out the man is not Eric, it would be such a big shock that she might miscarry the baby."

"I know and I don't want to put her through that again."

"You should go speak to Jack alone about what you found. Maybe you could go alone to Nova Scotia and if it is him, you could bring him back."

"That's what I was thinking. I just need to get him alone. I don't want Elizabeth to know yet."

"The café is slow right now; I closed it when I brought your lunch over. I can keep it closed and go down to their house. I can say I am there to give Jack a break and stay with Elizabeth. I will tell Jack to come into town to see you."

"That's a great idea, Abigail. I would much rather talk to him here than at the house where she might hear me."

Abigail stood on her toes to kiss him. "I will head out there right now." She walked out the door of the jail and started the walk to the Thornton home.

Elizabeth was still sleeping when the knock sounded on their front door. Jack quickly and carefully got out of bed to answer it. "Hello, Abigail." He said softly. "Elizabeth is sleeping. She was able to keep down half of her oatmeal this morning."

"That's good news, Jack. She will be able to eat full meals soon, I have no doubt." She paused for a moment. "Can we go sit in the living for a few minutes? I have something to tell you that Elizabeth should not hear yet."

Jack raised an eyebrow at her, wondering what was going on, but he nodded and led her to the living room. "What's going on, Abigail?"

"Bill received a report on Eric. He wants to discuss it with you in detail but he said I could fill you in."

"Is it bad?"

"He isn't sure yet. The report said a man was discovered on an island of the Eastern Coast of Canada. The man was found ill and with memory problems. He said he has a twin sister but can't seem to remember her name."

Jack thought it over for a moment. "Is there more? Where is he?"

"He is in a hospital in Nova Scotia. The authorities want Bill to bring Elizabeth to the hospital so she can identify him." She saw Jack start to protest. "Relax, Jack. Bill does not want to do that, given her own health right now. He does not want to put her through a long trip and the emotional upheaval if the man is not Eric. I agree with him, because the shock could cause her to lose the baby."

Jack nodded his head in agreement. "Yes, it would definitely be too much for her and I don't think it would be any easier if I went with her."

"I came here to let you know that Bill would like to talk to you about what you think he should do for the next step. I am here to stay with Elizabeth so you can go to town. We can just tell her I wanted to give you a break for a little while. Bill and I both think its best that Elizabeth not know anything just yet."

"Yes, that is better. I don't want to see her get her hopes up only to be disappointed. That won't be good for her either." He went to grab his jacket. "Thank you, Abigail for filling me in and staying with Elizabeth."

"Anytime, Jack. You and Elizabeth are not just friends to me. You are family. I would do anything for my family."

"I shouldn't be too long."

"Take as long as you need." She said as he went out the door. She went to the library and picked out a book to read, then went to sit down next to Elizabeth in her bedroom.

Jack entered the jail to find Bill eating a sandwich. "Ah, Jack. Did Abigail fill you in?"

"Yes she did. I am grateful that you agree bringing Elizabeth there would be a mistake. What do you have in mind instead?"

"I thought I could go to Nova Scotia instead with pictures of Elizabeth. Maybe seeing them would trigger something in this man. I wanted to check with you first because if I leave, I would need you to return to work."

"Of course. Elizabeth is getting better. She was able to keep her breakfast down this morning. I think she can handle being by herself during the day. Not to mention Abigail would come to visit and a lot of the other women in town. When did you want to leave?"

"I was thinking since today is Friday, I would leave early next week. That would give you some more time with Elizabeth, to see how she does now that she is eating solid foods again and me time to let Headquarters know I am taking some time off."

"That sounds like a plan, Bill. Thank you for doing this."

"You're welcome, Jack." He paused for a minute. "It's strange, but I have a good feeling about this. I think the man is her brother. Don't ask me why I have this feeling but I do."

"I hope so. I would love it if you could bring her brother to Hope Valley. It would be nice if he could set up roots here. She told me he would be excited to be an uncle." He reached out to shake Bill's hand. "I am going to get going now. I want to stop by the Mercantile to see if they have something I could give Elizabeth as a gift."

"I will talk to you before I leave, Jack." He watched Jack leave then went back to his desk to work on the arrangements for his trip across the country.

 _Coming up next, Bill's arrival in Nova Scotia._


	10. Is he Eric?

Two weeks had passed since Bill left for Nova Scotia. In Hope Valley, Elizabeth was feeling much better, but Dr. Matthews wanted her to continue resting at home. If she kept getting better, he was going to consider letting her go back to teaching after the New Year. In the meantime, with Christmas getting closer, Elizabeth spent her days making decorations for the tree she and Jack were going to have. She was also working on the blanket for their baby. She had daily visits from Abigail and the other ladies in town. They would always bring home food so she wouldn't have to cook, which pleased Jack. He was still nervous about something happening to her and the baby, especially after he returned to work. He was being even more over protective than she thought he would be. She really didn't mind, though. It proved to her how much he loved both her and the baby. She loved it when he could get home for lunch to check her.

Bill finally arrived to his destination. It had been a long, hard trip. He checked himself into a hotel, then went to find where the Mounties were. He found the office and walked up to a desk where a man was standing.

"May I help you, Sir?" The Mountie asked.

"Yes, I am Inspector Bill Avery from Hope Valley."

"Ah, yes. We have been expecting you. I am Constable Sutter." He reach his hand over the desk to shake Bill's. "I have some news for you." He motioned for Bill to come around the desk and sit at a desk with him. When they were seated, Constable Sutter continued. "He has been getting better since you let us know you were traveling here on behalf of Mrs. Thornton. He remembered his name. He said it was Eric Thatcher and that he was from Hamilton."

"Really? That's great news. Does he remember Elizabeth?"

"He hasn't remembered her name yet but he remembered what she looked like. He said she had beautiful blue eyes and long brown hair. He also mentioned that he thought she wanted to become a teacher."

"That sounds like Elizabeth."

"That's what we thought based on the information you provided. However, I should tell you a body of another man was found on the island with this man. It is a possibility the deceased man is Eric and he had told the man in the hospital about his family."

"That is true. I would still like to meet him. I have pictures of Elizabeth to show him."

"There is one other thing I should mention. He keeps talking about knowing something is wrong with his sister. He says she is sick. I don't know how he could know that."

"I do. Elizabeth explained that they shared a special bond because they were twins. She was having nightmares around the time this man was found. They were about his death and her finding out he was alive or his body was found." He paused for a moment, then continued. "The reason I came out here instead of Jack and Elizabeth is because she is expecting and has been dealing with very bad morning sickness."

Constable Sutter's eyes widened in surprise. "That is interesting, very interesting. I am going to let my assistant know that I am leaving and I will take to the hospital where Eric is."

"Thank you." Bill stood up and walked around the counter to wait for the Mountie.

A short time later, they were walking up the steps to the hospital. They took the elevator to the fourth floor. They walked into room 448. The man in question was awake. "Good afternoon, Constable." He smiled. "I remembered my sister's name this morning. It's Elizabeth!" Excitement was shining is his eyes. "I also remembered the names of my other older and younger sisters. Viola is my older sister and Julie is my younger sister."

Bill and Constable Sutter looked at each other and smiled. "That's good news, Eric." He turned to Bill then. "Eric, this is Inspector Bill Avery. He is from a town called Hope Valley in western Canada."

Bill walked over to the man, with his hand outstretched. "Hello, Eric, it is nice to meet you." As he looked at the man he realized that he looked a lot like Elizabeth.

Eric shook his hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, too."

"I am here on behalf of a good friend and fellow Mountie, Jack Thornton. He wanted to find out some information about his wife's brother, who was missing in action and presumed dead. He was in the army when he disappeared." He watched Eric's face go white and his eyes widen in surprise.

"Inspector," he whispered, then cleared his throat to speak louder. "Do you know my sister, Elizabeth Thatcher? Well Thornton since she is married." He paused, then reached over to his bedside table to pick up a photograph. "Is this her?"

Bill gasped when he saw the picture. It was the same one Elizabeth had at home. "Yes, I do. Here are some more recent photographs of her." He hand them over to Eric.

Eric slowly flipped through them, looking at pictures of her with her students, with Abigail and one from her wedding day with Jack. He started crying when he saw that photograph. "She is even more beautiful than I remembered." He whispered and continued to stare at the wedding photo. "I always knew she would make a beautiful bride."

Bill noticed Constable Sutter move out into the hallway. He followed him. "Inspect Avery, I am going to head back to the office. Our questions about this man have been answered. I know he will have tons of questions to ask you."

"That's fine. I can find my way back to my hotel later. Thank you for helping me out with finding Eric."

"It was my pleasure. Have a good rest of your day."

Bill watched the Constable leave, then returned to Eric's room. The young man looked up when Bill came in. "Inspector Avery, I have a lot of questions."

"Please call me Bill. I would be happy to answer your questions." Bill pulled a chair over to the side of Eric's bed.

"Thank you, Bill." He looked lost in thought for a moment before speaking. "How long has Elizabeth been living in…"He trailed off, trying to remember the name of the town Bill said she was living in.

"Hope Valley?"

"Yes. How long has she been there?"

"About three years. The town was actually called Coal Valley then because they were a coal mining town. However, several months before Elizabeth arrived, there had been a terrible accident in the mine that killed all their workers except one man. They never reopened the mine. Instead it became a lumber town and they changed the name."

"How did she handle being in a coal mining town? What I mean is she is a wealthy city girl. I imagine it was a shock to her."

"I wasn't living in Coal Valley when she arrived, but from what I heard, it took some getting used to for her. Now she loves it and can't imagine living anywhere else. She and Jack are well loved in the community."

"Bill, I have to ask. Does Jack treat her right? She is very special to me."

"You don't have to worry. Jack loves her with all his heart and treats her with respect. He goes out of his way to make her happy. So does she for him. Hopefully you will be able to travel soon and I can bring you to Hope Valley."

"I would love that, Bill but I don't want to keep you from your work."

"That's not a problem, Eric. I have taken an extended leave of absence. I can stay here with you as long as you need to recover. We have plenty we can talk about."

"I have so many questions I don't know where to begin." He thought about for a moment. "Would you be able to tell me? This may sound silly to you but I have always had a special connection with Elizabeth. We could always tell when something was wrong with the other one. I have this feeling she has been really ill lately. Has she been sick?"

Bill wondered if he should tell Eric about Elizabeth being pregnant. He figured she would want to tell him herself. Then again, she would understand if her brother asked, given their connection to each other. "Eric, you are correct; she has been ill but it's not too serious. You see, Elizabeth is expecting and she developed excessive morning sickness." He looked at Eric's face to gauge his reaction.

Eric's eyes widened in shock, then he smiled as it sank in what Bill had said. He was going to be an uncle! "Elizabeth is having a baby?" Bill nodded. "I don't believe it. I still think of her as being a college student, earning her teaching degree. It has been hard for me to realize how much time has passed and that Elizabeth has a whole new life."

"I can understand that. You are suffering from information overload."

"You said she has been experiencing bad morning sickness. How was she doing the last time you saw her?"

"She was getting better. She was finally able to eat solid foods, in small portions. The doctor was happy with that. He didn't want her to force herself to eat big portions and then get sick."

"That makes sense. I am glad she is doing better." He looked pensive for a moment. "Bill, I was wondering something. I only recently began to remember parts of my life. How is it that you came to find me?"

"Well, on your birthday a few weeks ago, Elizabeth told Jack about you. She had kept it to herself all this time because it hurt her to talk about you when she didn't know if you were alive or dead. Jack, on his own decided he wanted to investigate into your accident. He wanted Elizabeth to have closure, even if it meant finding out for certain you were dead. He came to talk to me about it and I offered to investigate for him."

"Thank you for looking for answers about me, Bill. I will have to thank Jack too when I get to meet him."

Just then a doctor entered the room. He looked at Bill, then at his patient. "Whom are you going to meet, Eric?"

"My sister's husband, Dr. Neely. This is Inspector Bill Avery. He works with my brother-in-law, Constable Jack Thornton."

Dr. Neely extended his hand towards Bill. They shook hands. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Inspector. I am glad that Eric is finally able to get answers to his questions." Bill nodded. "Now, Eric how are you feeling today?"

"I am feeling much better, but I don't know if my health is improved or if it's because I know more about Elizabeth."

"I would say a little of both. I went over your test results and I am liking what I see. You have healed nicely and quickly. The problems with your memory should improve, slowly. I feel confident that you should do well outside of the hospital environment." He smiled.

"You are releasing me? When?" Eric asked excitedly.

"How does tomorrow sound?"

"That sounds great!"

"I will be by in the morning for one last exam. If you do fine overnight and pass your check up tomorrow, I will give you your walking papers." He patted Eric on the arm then turned to leave.

Eric turned to Bill with a bright smile on his face. Bill returned the smile. "This is good news, Eric. When would you like to leave?"

"I would love to go tomorrow after I am released but I don't know if we can. We would need to take a ferry to get to the main land right?"

"Yes, we do. How about we do this? I will leave you now and let you get some rest. This has been a big day for you and I am sure you are tired." Eric nodded his head. "I will go inquire about travel arraignments and also send a telegram to Jack telling him I am returning to Hope Valley. I will leave it up to him if he wants to tell Elizabeth."

"Sounds good. Jack may want to tell her, because she may figure it out herself."

Bill laughed. "This is true. Ok, Eric I will see you in the morning. You can keep the pictures I brought if you like."

"Thank you, Bill."

Bill walked out of Eric's room and headed to the travel office. There would not be a train leaving until the day after tomorrow at noon time. They could either leave tomorrow on the ferry and get a room for the night, or stay here one more night and take the first ferry the next day. Bill purchased the train tickets, then moved on to the telegraph office to send the telegram to Jack.


	11. Reunion

Two weeks later, Bill and Eric were on their final length of the long trip to Hope Valley. Eric spent a lot of time sleeping since he was still recovering and also asking Bill questions about Elizabeth. Bill answered a lot of them but felt that Eric should hold off on some to ask the woman in question himself. The closer the got to Hope Valley the more excited he became to see his sister after nine long years.

"Bill, is Elizabeth going to be waiting in town when the stage arrives?"

"No. Jack felt that it would be better to bring you to their house for your reunion. He felt, and I agree that this should be private. We don't want the whole town watching you and gossiping."

"Thank you. I would rather see her at her home first."

"When we arrive, I will take you to their home. They live a short distance out of town. Will you be fine walking or would you rather I rent a buggy and we drive out?"

"I would like to walk. I really need to stretch my legs." He turned to look out the window of the stage, thinking about seeing his sister again. He was getting more excited the closer they got to Hope Valley. He prayed that she would be as happy to see him as he was for her.

Jack took the day off of work so he could be with Elizabeth when her brother arrived. As far as he knew, her "twin sense" hadn't alerted her to Eric being found. If she had any more dreams, she hadn't told him about them. All he had to do now was get her dressed; her morning sickness was a little worse this morning, although she was better now. She had decided to stay in her nightgown for the day. He knew she wouldn't want to see Eric again in her night clothes. Bill and Eric were coming in on the late afternoon stage so he decided to tell Elizabeth that Bill and Abigail were coming over for dinner. He went into the kitchen to start making the roast beef he had bought when Elizabeth appeared from their bedroom, in a pretty dress in a color that matched her eyes.

"Elizabeth!" He whispered. "You look so beautiful. Not that I am complaining but what made you decide to get dressed?"

"I am not sure but all of a sudden I got this feeling that I should get out of my nightgown and put on a dress." She followed him into the kitchen. She noticed the food he was taking out of the icebox. "What's going on, Jack? That's too much food for us."

"You notice everything, don't you?" He teased. "Bill is coming back from his trip today so I invited him and Abigail over for dinner. I hope you don't mind."

"Of course not. I miss seeing them." She looked at the food on the table again. "May I help with something?"

"I got it under control. You should rest. Maybe read your book or work on the blanket."

"All right. Let me know if you change your mind and want some help." She walked over to give him a kiss. He held her for a moment, taking in her beauty. "I love you, my handsome Mountie."

"I love you too, Sweetheart" Elizabeth left and went to the living, picking up her book.

Back in town, the stage actually arrived early. Bill exited first, followed by Eric. Eric looked at the town while Bill waited for their bags. Once he had them, Bill motioned for Eric to follow him to the jail for a moment when they heard Abigail calling Bill. Bill smiled when he saw her. She ran over to them and put her arms around Bill. "Welcome home, Bill." She said.

"Thank you. I missed you." He whispered in her ear. Then he turned to Eric. "Abigail I want you to meet…"

"Eric." She interrupted. "Even if I didn't already know you were returning with Bill, I could tell you are related to Elizabeth. You look so much like her." She put out her hand to shake his. "I am Abigail Stanton. I am close friends with Elizabeth."

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Stanton. I am always happy to meet friends of my twin."

"Pleasure is all mine." Abigail said. "I am going back to the café to get working on dinner. I am sure I will see you soon." She waved goodbye to both the men and headed in the direction of the café.

Bill stowed his bag in the jail, then he lead the way to the Thornton home. Along the way he pointed out the schoolhouse/church Jack had donated the money for. Eric was impressed by the gesture; it really seemed to him that Jack loved his sister. Soon they were approaching the house. Again, Eric was impressed, especially when he leaned Jack had helped build it.

As Bill and Eric were walking closer to the house, Elizabeth began to feel that tingle she would get down her spine whenever something was happening with Eric. It really spooked her this time. She couldn't figure out why. As she was taking a few deep breaths to calm herself down, she heard a knock on the door. "I'll get the door, Jack." She yelled. She opened the door to find Bill standing there. "Welcome back, Bill. How was your trip?" She stepped aside to let him in as Jack walked in from the kitchen.

Bill's eyes met Jack's before he responded. "Why don't you tell me, Elizabeth?" He looked behind him, then walked into the house. Eric nervously stepped forward and looked at his beautiful sister.

Elizabeth let out a loud gasp as she found herself looking into her brother's eyes. She brought her hand to her mouth and felt tears come to her eyes. "Eric, is that really you?" She whispered and threw her arms around him.

He returned the embrace. "Yes, Elizabeth. It's me." He felt a tear slid down his cheek. He couldn't believe that he was finally seeing his sister. They stood there for several moments, just taking each other in. They only stopped when they heard the door close behind them. They looked up to see that Bill was no longer standing there.

Elizabeth turned to Jack. "Where did Bill go?"

"He decided to go back to town. He wanted the two of you to have a private celebration with only me present." He kissed her on her cheek, then extended his hand to Eric. "I am Jack, Elizabeth's husband. It is a pleasure meeting you."

Eric took Jack's outstretched hand and shook it. "It's so nice to meet you too. Bill told me it was your idea to initiate a search for me now. I have to thank you."

"You're welcome."

Elizabeth moved towards the living. "Let's go sit down and talk for a while. Unless you have to go check on dinner, Jack."

"I have some time to talk, Sweetheart." He said as he followed his wife to the living room.

After they were seated, Jack and Elizabeth on the couch with Jack's arm around his wife, Eric in the chair closest to his sister, Elizabeth turned to her brother. "Eric, I don't know if Bill told you, but I am going to have a baby." She put her hands down on her stomach and smiled.

Eric grinned. "Yes, Bill did tell me. He wanted to explain to me why he came to Nova Scotia instead of you and Jack." He looked at his sister, noticing she looked a little pale but she also glowed. "Bill also said you have been having a hard time with morning sickness."

"Yes, that's true. I am better now but still have some bad days. That's why the doctor didn't want me teaching for the time being." She smiled at him. "Which is good for me right now because I will be able to spend time with, getting to know you again."

Eric's eyes lit up. "I am looking forward to that and to becoming an uncle." He reached over and squeezed her hand. "I can't wait to see you as a mother. You were always meant to have children."

Jack nodded his head. "I haven't know Elizabeth as long as you have, obviously but I agree with what you said. I could tell she was meant to be a mother just by how she interacts with her students." Elizabeth turned to Jack and smiled. He kissed her on the cheek.

Eric noted the interaction between his sister and her husband. They were very much in love and happy about having a baby. He couldn't be more thrilled for Elizabeth. "Elizabeth, how is the rest of the family?"

She and Jack shared a look before she responded. "Well, Viola is married, to a royal. She finally got the castle with a mote she always wanted." She and Eric shared a look and laughed. "Julie, well she is a bit of a free spirit. She came out here to visit me and, well it was an enlightening trip. She loves reading romance stories and thinks like is just like one of her books. When she met Jack's brother, Tom she became even more out of control and she took Tom with her. She ran away from home and they eloped." She and Jack shared a look with each other over the impetuous actions of their younger siblings.

'Oh, my!" Eric said. "I can just imagine how Father reacted to that."

"Yes, he was definitely not please. He already disliked Jack because we had fallen in love and Father wanted me to marry Charles. So when he found out Julie was falling for Tom, he nearly blew a gasket."

"I can imagine." Eric said, then a surprised look came over his face. "Wait, did you say Father wanted you to marry Charles? Our old friend, Charles Kensington?" Elizabeth nodded her head. "No, no, no! That would never have worked for you. You two were complete opposites once you grew up."

"Exactly, but Father and Charles couldn't see that. Charles even came here and proposed to me even after I told him I would only love him as a friend or brother. He almost ruined the relationship I have with Jack. Jack had come to propose that same day but arrived at the school house after Charles."

"Oh heavens! Jack what did you do?"

"I regret to say I doubted Elizabeth's love for me and thought she was going to accept. I walked away before I heard her refuse Charles. I wouldn't even talk to her for a short time after. As you can see I came to my senses and we have a very happy marriage despite your father."

"What happened next?"

"After I accepted Jack's proposal, Father came out here to stop it. He brought Mother with him but she was already on my side. I had been writing to her about Jack all along and Father never found out. She could see how I was falling in love and that Jack was a wonderful man. I told Father that if he couldn't accept Jack as my husband then I would have to cut ties with him."

"Good for you, Elizabeth!" Eric said. "What was his response? Did he threaten to disinherit you?"

"I thought he would but after he listened to what Jack had to say to him, he relented. He still would have preferred I marry someone from Hamilton society and move back, but he saw a different side of me. I love it here. I love my job, I love my friends and I love how the whole town rallies around each other when something is wrong. Hope Valley is the town I always wanted to make my home, not Hamilton."

Eric smiled at his sister. "I can see that. I don't think I have even seen you more alive." He paused for a moment. "Elizabeth, I have been doing a lot of thinking while I have been recovering from my injuries and recovering my memory. Bill spoke highly of Hope Valley too. I have no desire to go back to Hamilton. Bill mentioned that there is a saw mill here and I know I could get a job there. How would you feel if I decided to make my home here?"

Elizabeth felt tears come to her eyes. She reached over to squeeze his hand. "I would love it if you stay here in Hope Valley. I know you will want to find a place of your own but for now Jack and I would be very happy if you stay here to recuperate."

"I would love to stay here, for now, Elizabeth. Thank you both."

Jack stood up. "I have to go check on dinner. Elizabeth, why don't you show Eric his room and then meet me back in the living room."

"That sounds good." She stood and gave him a kiss.

Eric felt very blessed to be reunited with his sister. He was grateful that she found a wonderful, loving husband and that she was having a baby. He couldn't wait to begin a new life here in the town that Elizabeth loved. He knew if she loved it, so would he.


	12. Getting to Know You Again

"It feels like Christmas already." Elizabeth said as they all sat down again in the living room. In fact, the holiday was only a couple of weeks away.

"It does feel that way." Eric concurred. "And I am grateful for a second chance at life."

"I am so thankful you are alive and want to settle down here in Hope Valley." Elizabeth held his hand for a moment.

"I am too, Elizabeth." He paused for a moment before talking again. "Do you keep in contact with Julie at all? I imagine Father must have cut her off completely."

"Yes he did. She was expecting it but she didn't care. She hated how he was treating herself and me, expecting us to conform to what he expected of us. He had the nerve to write me and say I was not to get in contact with her ever. Being as I had been in that situation before, you should know what I did next."

Eric laughed. "Yes I think I do know what you did. How is she?"

Elizabeth and Jack looked at each other for a moment before she replied. "She seems to be doing fine. She is very happy to be Mrs. Thornton, just like her big sister." She smiled a little. "They had a rough time of it at first while Tom was looking for a job but things are doing better for them now. He got a job working on a livestock farm in Grande Prairie. As for Julie, you won't believe what she is doing." She laughed, with Jack joining her.

"It must be pretty funny to get the both of you to laugh. What is she doing?"

"Well, it's not funny per se, but it's something you would never expect from our little sister. She is currently in collage studying to become a nurse."

"What? A nurse? You are joking right?" He looked to his sister and noticed she was not laughing anymore. "Ok, you are not kidding around. She really wants to become a nurse?"

"Yes she does. She is very serious about it and has been getting good grades."

"Good for her."

"Yes it is. Jack and I may kid with each other about her career choice but truth is we are very proud of both our siblings. They both turned things around and have a good life going. We are hoping they may be able to come visit us here for Christmas."

"I hope they accept. I would love to see our younger sister."

"I know she would be over the moon to see you too. She was so sad after you left and then when we thought you had died, well she was inconsolable. She really missed having a big brother."

"I missed her too. I will pray that she and Tom can come here for the holiday." He thought for a moment. "What other plans do you have for Christmas? Do you decorate a tree?"

"Yes we do. Next weekend we are going in the woods to pick out the tree and then bring it home to decorate that same night. This year there is going to be a party on Christmas Eve at the café before the town heads to church. Christmas Day, Jack and I always spend alone but you are most definitely included in that. Of course if Tom and Julie come, our plans may change slightly."

"That all sounds wonderful."

"Jack and I are already looking forward to next Christmas too, aren't we Jack?"

"Yes we are. We can't wait to have a little Thornton running around her."

Eric closed his eyes for a moment, trying to picture it in his mind. He was still getting used to Elizabeth being married. "That sounds wonderful." He said. "I am very grateful that I have a chance to see him or her grow up."

"So am I." Elizabeth said as a tear fell down her cheek. Jack leaned over and kissed it off her cheek.

"She gets a little more emotional now that she is pregnant." Jack said as he put an arm around her and gave her a quick hug. "I am going to check on dinner. It should be almost done." He stood up and left the room.

"Elizabeth, I have to tell you. When Bill told me you were married, I asked him if your husband treated you right. You are so special to me that not just any man would fit my idea of a good husband for you. Bill told me Jack treats you with respect and kindness. I can see for myself that is most definitely true. He would do anything for you."

"Oh, Eric! You didn't!" She exclaimed. "You sounded a little like Father." She giggled.

Eric thought for a moment, then he laughed too. "I guess I did. Who would have thought that?"

"Certainly not me." Elizabeth replied, trying to keep a straight face. It didn't work as she burst out laughing. Eric joined her.

Jack walked back into the living room just at that moment. "Ok, I missed the joke. What was it?"

Elizabeth tried to control her giggles. "Oh, it's something private between my twin and me."

"OK, then." Jack said, letting the comments slide. He would ask her later what was so funny. "Dinner is ready." He walked over to the sofa and held out a hand for his wife. She took it and stood up. They walked out of the living room with Eric right behind them. They said a special prayer before dinner, thanking God for allowing Eric to live and to be reunited with his twin sister.

Eric turned in early that night. He was still recovering and the long journey made him even more tired. Elizabeth and Jack sat around the fire for while with Jack's arms around her. They talked about the events of the day.

"Jack, what do you think I should do? My family has to be told that Eric is alive but I have a feeling Father will come out here and try to get Eric to move back to Hamilton and join him in the family business."

Jack thought for a moment. "It's a tough call. I agree with what you said about your father. Then again, isn't your father doing business with Lee now? If Eric gets a job at the saw mill, he would indirectly be working in the family business."

"Hmm. I hadn't thought of that. I suppose I should talk to Eric first. Let him know that father does business with Lee. He may want to look for something else. Also, I don't want to send a telegram to Mother and Father until I talk with Eric. He may not be ready to see them yet."

"That is true. I don't think Eric is going to be ready to start work for a few weeks. He is still recuperating. Maybe talk to him tomorrow and see how he feels."

"Good idea." She sat up and leaned over to give Jack a kiss. "I am getting tired too. It's been an exciting day but I think I am ready to go to bed."

"That sounds like a great idea. I want to go to the jail early in the morning. I want to make sure Bill takes a few days off. He deserves it after the long trip east and brining Eric home to you."

"Yes, he does." Elizabeth replied as they walked into their bedroom. "We should have Bill and Abigail over for dinner soon. Maybe after church on Sunday."

"That's a good idea. I will mention it to her when I am in town tomorrow."

Elizabeth climbed into bed. "Thanks, Jack. You are the best husband a girl could have."

Jack smiled as he got into bed. He gave his wife a kiss, then wrapped his arms around her, pulling her body closer to him. As he did, he noticed something on her abdomen. "What's this? A bump? Is that a small baby bump?"

Elizabeth giggled. "Yes it is. I noticed it earlier today. It's a good sign. It means things are going well in there." She put one of her hands over his. "I love you, Jack!"

"I love you, too, Sweetheart. And I love our baby." Soon they happy couple were sound asleep.

 _Coming soon, the Thatcher family's reactions to Eric being alive. What will Mr. Thatcher do?_


	13. Telegrams

Elizabeth woke up to the sound of dishes rattling in the kitchen. She looked up and the clock and noticed it had been an hour since Jack had left for work. She wondered if Eric was in the making himself some breakfast. At that moment her own stomach growled. She smiled to herself. She was happy that she seemed to be finally over the morning sickness and she felt like eating. She got out of bed, slipped on her robe and went to the kitchen, where she found Eric mixing something in a bowl.

"Good Morning, Eric. What are you up to?" She said.

Eric looked at her and grinned. "Morning, Elizabeth. I woke with a hankering for pancakes. I hope you don't mind that I made myself at home in your kitchen."

"Not at all." She put a kettle on the stove to make tea for herself.

"Do you feel like some breakfast?" Eric asked as he set the pancake batter down on the counter to rest for a few minutes.

"Yes I am and pancakes sound delicious." She sat down at the table. Even though she wasn't nauseous she felt very tired this morning. Must be the excitement from the day before.

Eric noticed how tired his sister looked. "How are you feeling?"

"I am just tired today. I think the excitement from yesterday has gotten to me, but I wouldn't trade the day for anything."

"Nor would I." Eric gave her a kiss on her cheek. "I still find it hard to believe that I was found and have found you again. When I started to remember things, I spent a lot of time wondering where you were now. Thankfully Bill had showed up looking for me and told me everything about your life now. I was glad to hear that you were not in Hamilton, that you have found happiness and love here in Hope Valley."

"Hamilton was never a place I wanted to live. Being a high society lady was never for me. When Charles came to propose to me and I turned him down, he kept saying how it didn't make sense that I would turn away from Hamilton society and all the comforts it would bring me. He refused to understand that I was happy living here, that I loved my job, that I had wonderful friends and I was hopelessly in love with Jack. He kept calling Hope Valley a dusty little no good town."

"That definitely sounds like Charles. I am so glad you turned him down. I could never see you being happy with him. Especially after seeing you and Jack together. He is hopelessly in love with you too." He squeezed her hand. "Speaking of Hamilton, I was up for a while last night and I was thinking about the family. I think we should send a telegram home, despite how things were with Father."

"I was actually going to talk to you about that today. I agree that we should send work to Mother and Father. There is something we should talk about though."

"Is it about Father coming here to try and drag me back to Hamilton and join him in the business? If so, I am going to stand my ground and tell him I am staying here. Hopefully I will have that job at the saw mill by then."

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about. Father does business with the saw mill."

"He does? Oh, well. I still want to work for the mill. It's not like Father is going to move his whole business out here. He would never leave Hamilton."

"That is true. From what I understand, the mill here only supplies wood for a couple of his customers in Vancouver. He uses mills that closer to Hamilton for his other clients."

"I can deal with that." Eric said as he stood up from the table. "Are you ready for the pancakes?"

"You bet I am." She said. "After we eat, we can go into town to send the telegram. We should also send one to Julie. If you want, I can introduce you to some of the people and maybe we go for lunch at the café. We may be able to get Jack to join us."

"That sounds like a great plan." Elizabeth went to grab a piece of paper so they could write the telegrams while they ate their breakfast.

 _ **Dear Mother and Father,**_

 _ **This message is going to come as a complete shock to you.**_

 _ **Eric is alive and he is staying with Jack and me.**_

 _ **He is going to get a job and settle in Hope Valley.**_

 _ **More to follow in a letter**_

 _ **Love, Beth**_

 _ **Dear Julie,**_

 _ **I have some exciting news for you, Little Sister!**_

 _ **Eric is alive!**_

 _ **He is going to settle down here in Hope Valley.**_

 _ **Hope we get to see you at Christmas!**_

 _ **Love, Beth**_

A couple of hours later, the siblings began their walk into town. They were stopped a few times by people wondering who the man was walking with the married school teacher. Elizabeth was quick to explain the story without going into much detail. Once they had the telegrams sent, they walked to the jail.

Elizabeth opened the door and walked in, pleased to see Jack at his desk. "Hi, Handsome Mountie!"

Jack looked up from his desk and a huge smile grew on his face. "Hi, Sweetheart! It's so good to see you!" He then noticed Eric. "Hello, Eric! Is Elizabeth showing you the town?"

"Yes, she is. I have met some of the people too."

"Jack," Elizabeth said. "Do you have time to join us for lunch at the café?"

"Of course I do. I was just finishing up a report and was going to head over. My stomach has been growling for about twenty minutes now." He reached for his hat and they all walked of the jail and headed to the café.

As they walked inside, Abigail was in the dining room clearing off a table. The café was unusually empty for 12:30. She looked up and smiled as she saw her best friend and company. "Hi, Elizabeth. I am so glad you came in with Jack and Eric. Are you here for lunch?"

Elizabeth returned the smile. "Yes, we are here for lunch. Is something going on today? You aren't usually this empty at this time of day."

"I was busy from about 11:30 to just a few minutes ago. Guess people were hungry early. It's better for you though. You won't have people asking you questions about Eric. Although I did hear you have been introducing him to some of the folks."

"Yes I did." Elizabeth left it at that.

"I have beef stew and chicken and dumplings for lunch today. I know Jack will have the beef stew since it's his favorite but would you and Eric like?"

Elizabeth thought it over for a moment. She knew the chicken would be lighter but her mouth began to water when she heard there was beef stew. She decided to go for it. "I would love to have the beef stew."

"Make it three." Eric said as he smiled at Abigail.

"Coming right up."

They enjoyed lunch together with Abigail sitting with them. Elizabeth and Eric shared stories about their childhood, which Abigail and Jack laughed over. When Jack got up to start his afternoon rounds, Elizabeth and Eric decided to leave as well. Both were feeling a little tired. The pair walked home as Elizabeth told her brother tales of her life after Eric had been reported missing.

 _Coming up in the next chapter: Reactions to the telegrams_


	14. Thatcher and Thornton Sibling Reunion

Two days later, Elizabeth was beginning to wonder if her family had reacted negatively to the news about Eric. She thought for sure she would have heard something by now. She could understand if her father was angry, given the fight he and Eric had all those years ago. It was the silence from Julie that troubled her. Julie loved Eric; Elizabeth thought for sure Julie would have sent an excited telegram back to her by now.

Just then, Eric joined her in the living room. "I can't believe we haven't heard anything from the family yet." He said, his thought mirroring her own.

"I know." She replied. "I can understand if Father didn't want to reply to the telegram, but Julie's silence is concerning to me. She was always the first one of us to get excited over things."

"It is concerning. Should we go into town and send another telegram?"

"I don't know. We could go to the mercantile and find out if there have been any storms that may have held up the telegrams. I also need to shop for a few things while I am there."

"That sounds like a good idea." He held out his hand to help her up from the couch. They put on their coats and began their walk.

As they reached town, they saw Jack returning from his rounds. "Hi, Sweetheart!" Jack exclaimed, happy to see his wife. "What brings you to town?" He got off his horse and walked over to her to give her a kiss.

"Hi, Jack! We came into town to check with Mr. Yost about the telegrams we sent out a couple of days ago. It's strange that we haven't heard anything yet. I wondered if some weather was hampering the telegraph wires."

"Well, I did hear from a couple of Mounties in towns east of here and they said a bad storm had moved through. I wouldn't worry too much about it, Elizabeth." He put his arm around her. "It's lunch time. Would you and Eric like to join me at the café?"

"That's sounds good, Jack. I am hungry." She gave him a quick kiss.

Eric stood by watching the happy couple exchange loving touches and glances. He was so glad his sister found a great husband. "Yes, that sounds great, Jack."

The trio headed towards the café when they noticed passengers exiting the coach. Elizabeth spotted a woman with long hair almost the same color as her own. She abruptly stopped walking and stared at the woman.

Jack noticed that she had stopped moving and had a strange look on her face. "Elizabeth? Is something wrong? Are you feeling OK?"

She appeared not to hear him as she started walking again. As she got closer, she called out. "Julie?"

The young woman turned at the sound of her name. "Elizabeth!" She yelled and started running towards her sister. She through her arms around Elizabeth in a big hug. "How do you like your early Christmas present?"

"I love it." Elizabeth replied with happy tears in her eyes. She looked over and saw Jack greeting his brother. That brought her mind back to her own family. "I have an earlier gift for you too, little sister." She stepped back from Julie and turned towards Eric.

Eric looked at his younger sister with tears in his eyes. "Hi, Julie. Look at you, all grown up and a married woman!"

Julie's eyes grew wide as she looked into the face of the brother she thought was dead. "Eric? Is that really you? Elizabeth?" For once, Julie was almost speechless.

"Yes, Julie. It's really me." He opened his arms, inviting her into his embrace. She ran to him, crying happy tears.

"Oh, Eric! I am so glad you are alive!" She hugged him tightly for a couple minutes then turned to her older sister. "Elizabeth! How did this happen? How come you didn't send me a telegram?"

Elizabeth and Eric exchanged glances. "It's a long story but you can thank Jack for finding Eric. And I did send you a telegram, two days ago. You must have already been on your journey here."

Julie nodded her head. "Yes we were. Tom and I wanted to surprise you and Jack. Looks like I got the bigger surprise." She felt Tom put his arms around her waist. "Tom, you are never going to believe this but this is my brother, Eric. Eric, this is my husband and Jack's brother, Tom."

The two men shook hands and exchanged pleasantries. "It's a pleasure to me you, Tom." Eric said.

"You as well, Eric. Julie has told me so much about you, I feel I know you already."

"I bet you two are hungry." Jack said to his brother and sister-in-law. "We were heading to the café for lunch. Why don't you join us and after we can bring your luggage to our house."

"A meal sounds great, Brother but we can stay at the saloon. We don't want to put you out."

"Nonsense! We have plenty of room. Eric is also staying at our house and this would give the Thatcher siblings a chance to get reacquainted." Jack looked at his wife, whose eyes were shining with happy tears.

Tom glanced at Julie who nodded her head that she wanted to stay at the house with Elizabeth and Jack. "Alright, Jack. We accept your kind offer. It would be much nicer to stay in your home."

The group of happy siblings walked over to the café and walked into the dining room. Abigail had just served a table when saw Julie. "Julie, what a nice surprise! Are you here for the holidays?"

Julie gave Abigail a hug. "Yes we are. We wanted to surprise Elizabeth and Jack." She turned towards her husband. "Abigail, I want you to meet Tom Thornton, Jack's brother and my husband."

Tom extended his hand to Abigail. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Mrs. Stanton. I have heard so much about you from both my wife and brother."

Abigail smiled at him. "Pleasure is all mine. Please call me Abigail." She looked at the happy group. "Are you here for lunch?"

"Yes we are, Abigail." Elizabeth replied as they began moving two tables together.

"Well, I tried a new recipe for chicken stew. I also have meatloaf." The sisters ordered the stew while the men had the meatloaf.

"Sister, how are you feeling?" Julie asked. "I hope that since you are out and about and apparently hungry, that the horrid morning sickness is over."

"I am feeling great, Julie. I still get a little nauseous first thing in the morning but I know how to take care of it."

"That's great, Sister! You will have to tell me your secrets to how to avoid morning sickness." She and Tom smiled at each, then waited for their siblings to catch on.

"Julie!" Elizabeth exclaimed. "You're pregnant?" She threw her arms around her sister, already knowing the answer while Jack and Eric congratulated Tom.

"Yes I am! We didn't plan to have a baby so soon but we are very happy." Julie glowed with joy. "I plan on going back to school next semester then take some time off to have the baby."

Abigail approached the table just as Julie explained her school plans. "Julie, you are pregnant?" She asked as she placed their lunches on the table. "That's wonderful news!" She hugged the younger woman.

"Thank you, Abigail. We are so excited about the baby." Julie said as she stuck her fork into the stew.

After lunch, the happy family returned to Jack and Elizabeth's house. Bill had stopped by the café while they were there and told Jack to take the rest of the afternoon off. Once they got Julie and Tom settled in their bedroom, they sat down in the living room. Elizabeth had made tea and ate some cookies Abigail had given them before they left. They spent the rest of the day catching up. Julie insisted that Eric sit on one side of her while Tom was on the other. Elizabeth sat on Jack's lap while they talked. She looked around at everyone in her home and felt blessed. Suddenly she jumped off Jack's lap, startling him.

"Elizabeth? What's wrong?"

"I have a great idea! Why don't we all go and pick out a Christmas tree and decorate it tonight after dinner."

Everyone started talking at once, agreeing it was a wonderful idea. They quickly put on their coats and headed out. After some arguing about which tree to pick, they found the perfect one. Jack and Tom began cutting it down. It was starting to get dark when they returned home. Elizabeth and Julie began working on dinner while the men found a spot to put the tree and brought in the ornaments. The Thornton/Thatcher family spent a wonderful night getting into the Christmas spirit.


	15. Parental Visit

Several days had passed since Julie and Tom arrived. The extended family was enjoying the time spent with each other. One afternoon, The Thatcher's were sitting in the living room, talking about their parents. It was strange to all of them that they had not gotten an answer yet.

"I just don't understand it." Elizabeth said. "Mother has started to stand up to Father recently. I would think that even if Father didn't want to acknowledge Eric, she would have found a way to get a telegram to us."

"I agree, Sister." Julie replied. "Mother has been so supportive of both of us when we fell in love with the Thornton men. She wrote to me and said she told Father he needed to stop being so controlling of us. That if he didn't he could lose us forever. I guess he just wants to be right all the time, even when he is wrong."

"I am glad Mother is supportive of you both. Father is just too stubborn." Eric shook his head. "It's like you just said, Julie. He has to be right and everyone else is wrong."

"It's really a shame he has to be this way." Elizabeth added. "Well, there isn't anything else we can do about it. Let's talk about something else. Like Christmas when we were growing up." Eric and Julie agreed.

A short time later, Jack and Tom returned from town. They walked into the living room and sat down beside their respective expecting wives, each one getting a kiss.

Jack pulled something out of his pocket and handed it to Elizabeth. "Elizabeth, Mr. Yost gave me this telegram for you."

Elizabeth took the telegram from him and opened it up. She smiled a little as she read it. "It's from Mother." She said. "Here is what she said.

 _ **My Darling Beth,**_

 _ **I was so happy to hear Eric is alive. I knew in my heart that he wasn't dead, just as I am sure you did.**_

 _ **I am leaving tomorrow to come to Hope Valley to see him and you, of course. I hope your morning sickness has resolved itself, but if not, I will be there to help you out.**_

 _ **Unfortunately, your father will not be coming with me. He still has it in his head that Eric should never have joined the military.**_

 _ **I will be arriving in a couple of days and will stay through the holidays, if that is works for you.**_

 _ **Love, Mother.**_

Eric looked sad for a moment. "Well, we figured he might act this way. It's his loss that he won't come to see me. I am glad Mother is coming. I can't wait to see her."

"I think Mother is going surprised to see me. It doesn't sound like she received my letter telling her I am expecting. I also mentioned that Tom and I would be visiting Hope Valley for the holidays. It will be nice to see her."

"Yes it will, Julie. And Eric, I agree. It is Father's loss by not coming here." Elizabeth put down the telegram. "I am going to have to talk to Abigail and see if Mother can stay in my old room. She would be much more comfortable above the café than the saloon."

"I can talk to her, Sweetheart, when I go to work tomorrow." Jack kissed her cheek.

"Thank you!" She returned the kiss, then stood up. "Come on Julie! Let's go make our men dinner!" She walked out of the room with Julie right behind her.

Two days later, the Thatcher/Thornton contingent waited for the stage to arrive. Soon it came into sight. Eric felt his heart pound with excitement as the stage came closer into view. It came to a stop and Jack moved forward to open the door and help the passengers out. Two young men exited first and then Grace Thatcher emerged. She smiled at Jack and accepted his hand to help her down.

"Mother!" Elizabeth walked over to her and gave her a hug. "I am so glad you came."

"So am I, Beth." She looked over Elizabeth's shoulder, hoping to see her son, but instead found herself looking into her youngest daughter's face. "Julie! I didn't know you were in Hope Valley. I am so happy to see you." She let go of Elizabeth and went to hug Julie. Then she saw her sons-in-law and hugged them both. Finally she spotted her son; she felt tears come to her eyes as she slowly walked towards Eric.

Eric also had tears in his eyes as he walked to meet her. "Mother! I am so happy to see you again." He pulled her into his arms.

"My son, my son!" Grace found she couldn't say anything else. When she could finally speak she said. "It's a miracle that you have come back to us. I am so thankful you are alive!"

"I am too and thankful that Jack decided to imitate the search to find me."

Grace turned to Jack. "You found him?"

"Well, I had the idea to search for him but Inspector Bill Avery did the work for it. Why don't we get your bags over to the café and have some lunch? Then I can tell you the rest of the story."

"That sounds wonderful, Jack. I am hungry and it is cold out." Grace said and the group made their way to Abigail's.

Abigail was cleaning off a table when the group walked in. "Grace! It's nice to see you again. How was your trip?"

"Abigail, it's nice to see you too and I had a pleasant trip." They all sat down at a table and Abigail took their lunch order.

Jack continued to tell the story of how Eric was found. Grace cried and thanked him profusely for deciding to start the search. She had known for a while that Jack was a wonderful man and was glad her daughter had fell in love with him, but this just proved what an exceptional man he really was.

"Jack," Grace said as she squeezed his hand. "Thank you so much for bringing my son back to me. You are a wonderful, thoughtful man and I am glad you and Elizabeth found each other."

Jack and Elizabeth smiled at each other. "I would do anything for Elizabeth." Jack said, while still looking at his wife with love in his eyes. "I saw how much her heart ached not knowing anything about her twin. I knew I could find out something for her, even if it meant Eric was dead. Thankfully he was very much alive." Everyone at the table said "Amen".

"Bless you, Jack Thornton!" Grace with a sparkle in her eye. Then her expression changed. "I just wish your father wasn't so stubborn. He would rather blame Eric for joining the military in the first place than to admit he is wrong, that he never should have tried to push his son into a career he didn't want." She looked lovingly at her son. "It's his loss not to be here to celebrate a very special Christmas with his entire family and to look forward to next year when a grandchild will be here."

The Thornton couples looked at each other and grinned. Grace saw and asked what was going on. She was confused for a moment, then realized why they were so happy. "Julie, are you expecting, too?"

Julie laughed and nodded her head. "Merry Christmas, Mother."

Grace stood up and went to hug her youngest child. "What wonderful news! I am so happy for you and Tom!"

"Thank you, Mother. That means so much to me."

"You're welcome. Are you going to continue your nursing studies?"

"I am going to attend one more semester, starting next month and we will see from there."

"I think that is a smart plan." Grace replied.

The family spent the rest of the day talking. They also made plans for Christmas. Grace wanted to help Elizabeth and Julie prepare their holiday feast. The sisters were surprised that their mother knew how to cook but were more than happy to have her help. They were so busy making plans that none of them gave William Thatcher a second thought.


	16. Christmas Suprise

Several days had passed since Grace had arrived in Hope Valley. The extended family enjoyed spending time together and getting to know each other. They made plans for Christmas. Eric offered to sleep on the couch on Christmas Eve so that Grace could spend the night and be with her family on Christmas morning. She, Elizabeth and Julie were planning the food to be served all day. The sisters were surprised to discover that their mother was an excellent cook, after Grace had cooked them a delicious roast beef for Sunday dinner. The women were planning a pancake breakfast and turkey with all the trimmings for Christmas dinner. They were each going to make different dishes for the meal.

Today was December 23rd, the day before Christmas Eve. Elizabeth was excited that the holiday was nearly upon them. Christmas was her favorite time of year and having her brother back to celebrate. Her mother standing up to her father and coming to Hope Valley made the holiday even more special for her. Today she was in town for a doctor's appointment and to get some things from the store they had forgotten for Christmas dinner.

Elizabeth walked up to the building where Dr. Matthews' office was. She knocked on the door, then entered after he said "come in." He was at his desk and smiled when he saw her standing in the doorway.

"Good Morning, Elizabeth! How have you been feeling?" He motioned her to join him in the exam room.

"I am feeling greet, Dr. Matthews. The morning sickness is almost gone. I am enjoying my family visiting for the holidays."

"That's great news about the morning sickness. It shouldn't be much longer before the sickness is gone." He got out his stethoscope and placed it on her small belly. He listened quite intently for several minutes. Elizabeth began to feel concerned because he didn't listen that long the last time she had a checkup.

"Dr. Matthews, is something wrong? You do hear a heartbeat, don't you?" She said a silent prayer that everything was fine with her baby.

"Hmm? Oh yes, I do hear a heartbeat." He listened another minute before he removed the stethoscope from his ears. "Elizabeth, did your mother ever mention having bad morning sickness when she was pregnant with you and your brother?"

"No, not that I can remember. Why?"

"Well, sometimes when a woman is pregnant with twins, the morning sickness will be bad, like what you experienced."

Elizabeth looked stunned as what Dr. Matthews said sunk in. "Wait, are you saying I am having twins?"

Dr. Matthews smiled. "Yes, Elizabeth. I distinctly heard two heartbeats."

"Oh my God!" She said, flabbergasted. "Jack and I are going to need to furnish the nursery with two of everything. Oh, Jack. I have no idea what he is going to say. He is going to be stunned!"

"Now, Elizabeth. I am want you to come see me for a checkup every two weeks. Get plenty of rest and make sure to eat properly. You are almost into your second trimester. I don't see an issue with you going back to work for the time being but you may want to consider shortening the school day so you don't get tired as quickly."

"I will most definitely do that, Dr. Matthews. Thank you. I am going to see if I can find Jack now and tell him the news."

Elizabeth walked over to the jail in a daze. She couldn't believe she was going to have twins. She hoped they would have one of each but if the Good Lord blessed them with two boys or two girls, she would be equally happy. She opened the door to the jail and was happy to see Jack at his desk. He looked up when he saw her and smiled.

"Hi, Sweetheart! I am glad to see you." He looked more closely at her face and noticed her dazed expression. He got up from his desk and took her in his arms. "What's wrong, Elizabeth?"

She kissed him on his cheek before responding. "Nothing, Jack. I just came from my checkup. You may want to be seated when I tell you about it." She led him back to his chair and leaned on his desk. "Dr. Matthews figured out what caused my excessive morning sickness."

"He did? What was it? Is something more seriously wrong with you? Is that why you look so stunned?" He looked worried and scared.

"Relax, Jack. There is nothing wrong." She paused before breaking the news, since she was still shocked herself. "Dr. Matthews heard two heartbeats today."

"Well, of course he would, yours and the baby's, right?" He looked up at her and watched her shake her head no. Then it dawned on him what she meant. He looked down at her abdomen and back up at her face. "Twins? We are having twins?"

Elizabeth nodded her head yes as the tears started forming in her eyes. Jack stood up from his chair and pulled her into his arms. "Are you as stunned as I am, Jack?"

He laughed a little. "Yes I am but I am so happy." He felt tears form as well, happy tears. "We are so blessed, Sweetheart."

"Yes we are."

"So when a woman has twins she has bad morning sickness? Is that what Dr. Matthews was saying?" Jack inquired.

"No, not necessarily. He asked me if my mother ever mentioned having bad morning sickness when she was pregnant with Eric and me. I don't recall her saying so and I would think she would have after learning my troubles. Dr. Matthews said sometimes morning sickness can be bad when a woman is having twins."

"I still can't believe it. We are having twins!" Jack looked amazed. "We are going to have to by two of everything for the nursery."

Elizabeth laughed. "I said the same thing after Dr. Matthews told me." Jack joined her in laughing. "Jack, let's not tell the rest of the family yet. I need some time to let this sink in as I am sure you do too. I think we should tell them tomorrow night before we go to Abigail's for the town Christmas party. Then we can tell everyone while we are there."

"That sounds like a good idea." Jack agreed, then he looked pensive for a moment. "Elizabeth, what did Dr. Matthews say anything about you returning to work? Is he concerned at all since you are having twins?"

"Well, he said he didn't see a problem with me returning to school in January but he said I may want to think about making the school day shorter so I don't tire out so easily. He said it's important for me to get plenty of rest and eat properly. He also wants to see me every two weeks so he can monitor my progress."

She looked pensive and Jack knew she was thinking hard about what the doctor said. "That makes sense." He told her. "What do you think you want to do? I will support you with whatever you decide, Sweetheart."

"Thank you, Jack. I knew you would. In the short time I have been pondering this, I thought of an idea. I want to go back to teaching but with the trouble I have experienced with this pregnancy, I don't want to take any risks. I don't want to risk a miscarriage. I couldn't live with that, since I would be losing two babies, not just one."

"I have to admit that crossed my mind too." Jack admitted. "What is your idea?"

"Well, I got a letter last week from a good friend of mine that I met at teacher's college. Her name is Danielle Sweeney. She hasn't had much luck in finding a permanent position. She had been living in Ontario and working as a substitute teacher, working a day here and a day there. She is tired of not having job stability and she is looking for a change. She wrote to me asking if I knew of any towns around here looking for a teacher. After reading her letter I started thinking that maybe she could be our teacher while I have the baby. I know I never discussed this with you but I figured I could stay home with the baby for a year and then return to teaching."

"I figured you would want to go back after having the baby. I don't have a problem with that. Being a teacher is who you are, it's part of the woman I fell in love with. I could not ask you to quit being a teacher than you could ask me to leave the Mounties." She smiled at him and he leaned over to kiss her. "So what is your new idea?"

"I was thinking I could talk to the school board and see if they would have a problem paying for a second teacher. I could go back to school in January working half days and she could finish out the day for me. She would already be in place if Dr. Matthews wants me to go on bed rest again. I definitely want to stay home for at least a year with the twins so by having Danielle here now it gives the children time to get used to her teaching style."

"That is a great idea, Elizabeth. What are you going to do if the town won't approve paying two teachers?"

"Then I will step down as Hope Valley's teacher and let Danielle or a teacher of their choosing take over. There is no way I am going to put our babies' lives in jeopardy."

Jack pulled into his arms and kissed her. "Elizabeth Thornton, you are the most wonderful woman in the world. You make me so proud, being willing to give up teaching so you can bring our two babies into this world healthy and happy."

"Thank you, Jack. It wasn't an easy decision. And just so you know, this has been something I have been thinking about for a while. I started thinking about it when I was so sick. I knew then I would do anything to have a healthy baby."

"I love you, Elizabeth. So much. I love you more and more every day."

"I love you, too, Jack."

"I did my rounds early today. It's a nice day out, unseasonably warm. Hard to believe tomorrow is Christmas Eve. How about we go get a picnic lunch from the café and go sit by the lake, just the four of us." His eyes twinkled as he said that.

She returned the look. "I would love to." The happy couple kissed passionately then headed out to the café, looking forward to spending a wonderful afternoon together.

 _ **Coming up next: The reaction of the family and an unexpected holiday visitor.**_


	17. Celebrations

Abigail could tell something was up when Jack and Elizabeth stopped by for a picnic lunch. She saw their stunned faces and wondered what was going on. She knew Elizabeth had a checkup today and while she could tell nothing was wrong because they didn't look sad, her curiosity was getting the better of her. She somehow managed to curb it, knowing that her good friends would tell her their news when the time was right. She busied herself preparing the basket with warm roast beef sandwiches, potato salad and chocolate chip cookies.

Jack took the basket from Abigail while Elizabeth got a blanket and then they were off to their favorite part of the lake, a spot on the far side where they could have some privacy. Jack firmly kept his other arm around her waist as they walked, then after the blanket was spread out on the ground, he gently helped her sit down. Elizabeth smiled to herself at how much more protective Jack was in the half hour since she told him they would be having twins. As much as she thought the over protectiveness would eventually drive her crazy, she decided she would let him be the nervous dad to be. After all, she was carrying two precious beings inside her; she needed to be careful if she wanted to bring them into the world safely and healthy.

Jack noticed her smile as he joined her on the blanket. "What are you smiling about, Sweetheart? The babies?"

"Of course, my handsome Mountie. The shock is starting to wear off and I am finding myself to be getting more excited."

Jack grinned. "Me too." He kissed her, then put his hand on her belly. "Hi, this is Daddy!" He said as he lowered his head towards her abdomen. "I know you have heard me introduce myself before, but that was before I knew there were two of you in there. I want you to know that I love you both equally and individually." He looked up at his wife and saw happy tears falling from her eyes. "Your mommy loves you both the same way, too. We can't wait for you to get here, but you stay nice and cozy in your mommy's belly for a few more months. We can't wait to show you this great big world of ours." He kissed her belly, then lifted his head back up to look into his wife's face. He brushed away her tears, then brought a hand to his own eyes. They hugged each other for a few minutes, each one deep in thought about their growing family.

Eventually, Elizabeth pulled away, even though she knew she could stay in his arms like that forever. "We should eat our lunch, Jack." She reached over to the basket and started pulling out the sandwiches.

"We should. You definitely need to eat since you are feeding three people now." He grinned again, his eyes twinkling at the thought of two babies that they created out of their love for each other arriving into this chaotic world.

They sat in silence while they had their lunch. Elizabeth was almost through eating her sandwich when she looked at Jack. "What do you hope the babies will be? Boys, girls or one of each? I would love one of each but if they are both boys or both girls, I would be equally happy. What I want more than anything is healthy babies."

"I feel the same way, Sweetheart. Healthy babies is the key, especially after the horrible morning sickness you had. I know the doctor said that the babies remained healthy despite how sick you were, it still worries me that you were having so much trouble eating before you were diagnosed." He took her hand and squeezed it.

"Me too, Jack. We will find out when they are born." She took the hand he hand in hers, then brought it to her belly. Jack put his other arm around her and they sat on the blanket, just the four of them, for several minutes, enjoying the peace of just their little family before they returned to their house.

Christmas Eve Day dawned considerably colder than the day before. Grey clouds blanketed the sky, making Elizabeth wonder if they would have a white Christmas. Time would tell. She went about the day preparing for the holiday with her mother and sister. They were making appetizers and desserts to bring to the town Christmas party that night at the café. Jack, Tom and Eric went into town to do some last minute gift shopping. Grace had shook her head at the men, muttering something about how it was in the male genes to be last minute gift shoppers.

Soon it was time to get ready for the party. The family disappeared into their rooms to get ready. Elizabeth was getting excited about telling the family their baby news. She quickly dressed, in a gown of dark green, then put on the opal jewelry Jack had given her for her birthday. She loved the colors that came out in the stones against the green dress. She let her hair fall in long curls down her back. She examined herself in the full length mirror and squealed a little when she noticed her small be very visible belly.

Jack came running out of the bathroom when he heard her. "Is something wrong, Sweetheart?"

"Nothing, dear Jack. I noticed my belly when I was looking in the mirror." She turned around so he could look at her. She watched his eyes go up and down her body, and noticed they grew wide as he took in the sight before him.

"Elizabeth!" He exhaled sharply. "You looked exquisite." He walked over to her and placed his hand on her belly. "Merry Christmas, Little Ones." He leaned down and gave the babies a kiss. Elizabeth once again felt happy tears come to her eyes. She knew she needed to get used to crying at the drop of a hat as pregnant women are very emotional.

Jack finished getting ready. Elizabeth grabbed a matching green shawl and her winter coat before they both headed to the living room to share their baby news with the family. Once everyone was there, she looked to Jack, who nodded his head that he was ready.

"We have something we want to tell you about before we head out. I found out something very interesting at my checkup yesterday." She and Jack walked over to Grace and Elizabeth took her mother's hand. "We are having twins!"

The rest of the family stood there is shock for a moment. Then Grace squeezed her daughter's hand. "Oh, Beth! That is the most wonderful news." Her eyes started to fill with tears. "I remember what it was like the day my doctor told me I was having twins. I was so excited, even though I already had one child before. I can just imagine how you two must be feeling." She hugged Elizabeth, then Jack. Julie screamed and rushed to Elizabeth to give her a big hug. Elizabeth looked over Julie's should and saw Tom embracing Jack, murmuring his congratulations.

Then, she felt a hand on her back. She turned to face her own twin. "Oh, Elizabeth. This is the best news. I can't believe it. My twin is having twins." He pulled her into his arms and hugged her.

Grace took Elizabeth's hand. "Did the doctor say that being pregnant with twins was why you had the terrible morning sickness?"

"Yes he did. He asked me if you had mentioned having the same problem when you were pregnant with us."

"Well, the morning sickness was definitely worse than when I was pregnant with Viola but it wasn't as bad as what you described to me. Not to mention I had almost no morning sickness when I was expecting Julie. I just figured each pregnancy was different. It didn't even dawn on me until just now that your problem was because you are expecting twins."

"That makes sense." Elizabeth hugged her mother. "We should get going to the party. Jack and I are going to tell everyone tonight." The group headed out in the wagon, which was filled with passengers and food.

A short time later, the family had arrived and unloaded the food. They were now inside the café, eating good food and laughing with friends. Jack was talking with Frank and mentioned that he had an announcement he wanted to tell the party goers. Frank yelled to everyone to be quiet.

Once everyone had settled down, Jack took Elizabeth's hand and started to talk. "Everyone, Elizabeth and I want to thank everyone for the help and kindness while Elizabeth was so sick. You have no idea how much we appreciated it. We have some news we will like to share with all of you." He turned to Elizabeth, letting her be the one tell the happy group.

"Jack and I have the most wonderful news." She said with tears in her eyes. "We are having twins!"

Everyone in the room gasped, then started congratulating Jack and Elizabeth. Abigail quickly made her way to Elizabeth and gave her a big hug. "Elizabeth, I am so happy for you. This is what you were thinking about yesterday when you stopped by for the picnic lunch. I could tell something big was on your minds. I wanted to ask about it, but knew you would tell me in your own time."

"Yes, Abigail. I hope you don't mind that we didn't say anything. We wanted to keep it to ourselves for the day. We didn't tell the family until tonight, just before we came here."

"I don't mind at all. I understand completely the need to want to keep that news to yourself for a while. I would certainly have done the same if I had been pregnant with twins." She hugged her friend one last time, then went to congratulate Jack.

More people kept coming over to Elizabeth, giving her hugs and saying how happy they were for her and Jack. She was having a conversation with Cat when she heard the door to the café open. She gasped when she saw the man standing in the dining room. The man was none other than William Thatcher! He looked perturbed to see his family so happy.

 _ **What does William have to say to his family?**_


	18. Not So Merry Christmas Eve

Elizabeth shut her eyes and opened them again, not believing her father had shown up in Hope Valley. Yet there he was, in the flesh. Her mind filled with dread, just knowing he was here to cause trouble for the entire family.

"Father" She said to him. "What are you doing here?"

"Why, Beth. That is not a very welcoming hello. Didn't we teach you to have better manners than that?"

"I'm sorry, Father but given the how things have been in the past, I am suspicious as to why you would show up here, now instead of coming with Mother."

"Get your mother and your brother and find us a place where we can talk privately."

"I will also get Julie, Tom and Jack as they are also a part of the family." Elizabeth started scanning the party goers, looking for her family. She noticed that a lot of the people were staring at her.

"I do not wish to speak to Julie and I want a private Thatcher family talk." He said with an angry tone to his voice.

Elizabeth glared at him. She was getting angry herself and tried to take a few deep breaths to calm herself. "Like it or not, Julie is still your daughter and Jack and Tom are your sons-in-law. They are part of the family so if you want a family meeting, they are included."

"No, Elizabeth!" He yelled, not caring that he was embarrassing himself. "If it wasn't for the Thornton's you never would have stayed here and Julie would never have left home to elope. I demand that you, your brother and mother talk to me at once!"

"NO!" Elizabeth shouted, not caring who heard her. She needed to make her point with her father. "Jack is my husband. He is the father of my babies. He is part of my family just as you are. If you can't accept that then I have nothing more to say to you." She started for the door. "Except this! Thanks for ruining my Christmas!" She yanked the door open, walked through and slammed it shut. She headed towards the lake, where she knew she could think.

The crowd went silent. They had never seen Elizabeth that angry before. Some people thought it was raging hormones but others knew it was real anger. That Mr. Thatcher was being so unreasonable that it made her furious.

Jack started at the door that Elizabeth just ran out of. He only heard the last part where William blamed him and Tom for what has been happening to his family and Elizabeth yelling at him for not accepting Jack as her husband. Jack quickly grabbed her coat and ran out after her. He couldn't see her when he got outside but something inside him knew she went to the lake.

Elizabeth felt her knees give out under her and she sank to the ground, tears falling down her face. How dare her father show up here and treat her like that? She tried to calm down, knowing that being upset like this was bad for her and the babies. She was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn't hear Jack walk up behind. She was startled when she felt her coat being draped on her shoulders. She looked up into the concerned face of her husband. He sat down next to her and pulled her into his arms. She continued to cry while Jack murmured in her ear to let it out.

Soon her tears had stopped. She pulled away from Jack to look at his face. "Thank you, Jack. I needed you to help me calm down. I know I shouldn't have gotten upset like that but he made me so mad. Coming here and demanding that only Mother, Eric and I join him for a family meeting. Then when he refused to allow you, Tom and Julie to join the meeting, I just lost it."

"I heard part of the conversation. I couldn't believe he was implying that Tom and I ruined yours and Julie's lives. I don't blame you for getting upset. I was proud of you when you walked out before things got any more out of control."

"I just don't know what is wrong with him. How can he treat his family this way?" She felt tears threatening to start up again. "Let's promise never to treat our children that way. Let's try to be understanding with the choices they make in their lives, even if we think it's a mistake. Part of life is making mistakes and being able to learn from them?"

Jack pulled her closer and kissed her. "I agree, Sweetheart."

"So do we." Elizabeth and Jack looked up to see the rest of the Thatcher/Thornton contingent approaching the lake.

"I can't believe your father would show up here and make those demands." Grace looked furious. "He tried to grab me at the party and make me go to his room above the saloon. I pulled away from him but not before I let him have it. He was so shocked that I stood up to him that I was able to get away from him and get out the door."

"And we followed close behind." Julie said. "He is unbelievable!"

"He is still the way I remembered him." Eric shook his head. "Controlling and unreasonable."

Elizabeth was intently listening to her family discuss her father but she started to shake, from the cold, and possibly from her confrontation with her father. Jack pulled her even closer into his embrace, then turned to the group. "Elizabeth is freezing. Let's go back to town and get the wagon. We can ride over to the church and talk for a while before the service starts."

The family all agreed and soon they were sitting inside the warm church. Elizabeth wearily sank to a pew. The stress from the scene with her father was getting to her. Jack sat down next to her and rubbed her back, trying to soothe her. He could see how upset she still was and it bothered him.

"Elizabeth, please calm down. I'm worried about you."

Elizabeth breathed in deeply, then let it out. "I know, Jack. I know it's not good for me or the twins to be this upset." She continued to breathe deeply, until she finally felt like her anger was subsiding. Jack helped by continuing to rub her back. She turned to him and smiled. "That's better, and I decided something."

"What's that?" He wondered.

"I am not going to let him ruin my Christmas. We have so much to be thankful for."

Jack looked at her face and noticed the sparkle back in her startling blue eyes. He smiled at her before responding. "I am glad, Sweetheart. You are right. There is plenty to celebrate this Christmas. We don't need your father ruining it for us."

"I agree." Grace said. "We will celebrate as a family like we planned."

"Yes, let's celebrate like we planned." Julie spoke up. "I have been trying to calm myself down too and it wasn't working until I heard you just now." She leaned down and hugged Elizabeth. "Merry Christmas, Beth, Mother, Eric, Jack and my dearest Tom." She pulled some mistletoe out of her coat pocket and held it over her head. Tom laughed and gladly gave her a kiss.

Elizabeth smiled at the sight, then remembered she had put a sprig of mistletoe in her pocket too. Jack was talking to Eric with his back towards her. She held the mistletoe over her head and called to him. He looked over, saw what she was doing and quickly walked to her. He pulled her up and kissed her. "Merry Christmas, my beautiful wife!" He put his hand on her belly. "Merry Christmas, kids." Everyone in the family was happy and no one was thinking about what William had done.


	19. Holiday Happiness

It was three in the morning and Elizabeth couldn't sleep. The scene with her father was still on her mind no matter how hard she tried to think of something else. Not wanting to wake up Jack, she got up and went to their office. She reached for one of her favorite books, "Little Women", sat down on the couch and opened the book. She read a few pages when her mind began to wander again; this time she was thinking about the names of the March sisters. She began putting the names together and decided that she liked Josephine Amy for a girl. Josephine Amy Thornton. She said it out loud and loved the way it flowed. She got up and went to the desk, where she pulled out some paper and a pen. She returned to her spot on the couch and wrote the name down. She continued to think about the names; she didn't want to give a daughter the first name of Beth; it would be too confusing. She didn't mind it for a middle name. Margaret Elizabeth Thornton sounded nice as well. Now she needed to think about boys names. She didn't really like Laurence or Theodore. She liked the idea of naming a boy after his father, Jack Thomas Thornton, Jr, but she wasn't sure Jack would agree.

She was so deep in thought about boys' names that she didn't hear Jack walk in. She jumped when she heard him say "Elizabeth, are you ok?"

She put a hand to her heart. "Oh, Jack, you scared me."

He walked over to the couch and sat down next to her, putting an arm around her. "Still thinking about your father?"

"You know me so well." She leaned over and gave him a kiss on his cheek. "I kept trying to think of something else but I couldn't do it. So I came out here to read so I wouldn't disturb you."

"I wouldn't have minded if you woke me up. We could have cuddled together and talked."

"I know but you are so busy with work that I wanted you to be able to rest and enjoy the time off."4

"So has reading your book made you sleepy?"

"Actually, no it hasn't but it did get my mind off Father."

"How so?"

"Well, I am reading one of my favorite books. It's called "Little Women". It's about four sisters who grow up with a close bond between them during and after the American Civil War. The book is semi-autobiographical. What got me thinking was how much I liked the sisters' names as possible names for us if we have a girl."

"Oh? Did you come up with any you like?"

"Yes I did. I wrote them down on a piece of paper so I could go over them with you. Do you want to hear them now?"

"I would love to."

"Well, the character names in the book are: Meg, short for Margaret, Jo, short for Josephine, Beth, and Amy. I am not sure if Beth should be short for Elizabeth but that doesn't matter to me. I don't want to use my name as a first name for a daughter. I don't mind it as a middle name. So the names I put together are: Josephine Amy Thornton and/or Margaret Elizabeth Thornton."

Jack thought it over for a short minute. "I love them, Elizabeth. It's good that you have two sets of names picked out in case we have two girls. Have you given any thought to boys' names?"

"I was just starting to when you came in. I don't like the names of the male characters in the book. I wouldn't mind name a boy after you, Jack Thomas Thornton but wasn't sure how you would feel about that."

"I wouldn't mind that." He flashed his famous dimpled grin at her. "We should pick out another name though."

"Of course but I need some time to think about it." Elizabeth yawned. "I guess I should put the list and my book away and try to get some sleep."

Jack stood up and helped her to her feet. "How about we do that cuddling I mentioned earlier?"

"That sounds heavenly, my handsome Mountie." Together, the happy couple returned to their room and snuggled in their bed.

Jack woke up before Elizabeth the next morning. He had a gift he wanted to give her privately but he was undecided if he should wake her up after last night. His question was answered for him when she began to stir. He reached over to his night stand and opened the top drawer. He pulled out a small box and stuck it under the blankets, then turned back to look at his lovely wife.

Elizabeth opened her eyes and saw Jack smiling at her. "Good Morning, Jack! Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas, Sweetheart." He leaned over and kissed her. He then reached under the sheet, pulled out her gift and turned back to her. "I wanted to give this gift to you in private. I don't really have a reason for that other than I love you and our children so much and I wanted to have this special moment with you."

Elizabeth took the present as tears of happiness shimmered in her eyes. Before she opened it, she reached over to her night stand and pulled out her special gift for Jack. "Jack, My Love, we must have read each other's minds. I have a present I wanted to give to you privately too." She handed the package to him.

Jack took the gift, suddenly feeling very emotional himself. "Open yours first, please." He told her, then watched as she carefully removed the colorful wrapping paper. He kept an eye on her face to see what her reaction would be.

Elizabeth knew by the size of the box that it was some jewelry. She opened the box and gasped. Inside was a necklace with a heart shaped charm with her birthstone, an opal, an amethyst which was Jack's. "I talked to the jeweler and he said we could add our children's birthstone after they are born." Jack told her.

Elizabeth just stared at the necklace and cried. She looked into Jack's face and put her hands on his cheeks. "Oh Jack, it's so beautiful! I love the idea of adding our children's birthstone to the heart. I love you!" She pulled his face towards hers and gave him a soft kiss. "Open your present now." She said as she wiped way her tears. She laughed as Jack ripped off the paper from his gift. She watched his face after he the paper had been shoved away.

Jack stared at the sketch pad with a leather case. It was engraved with his name on it. Next in the box was a box with drawing tools, also engraved. He was surprised when he put his hands in the box one last time and felt something else. He pulled it out. It was an engraved silver picture frame. While his other gifts just had his name on them, the lettering on the frame said "The Thornton Family" at the top and his and Elizabeth's names at the bottom. He felt tears of happiness in his eyes as he stared at the beautiful frame.

"I thought we could put our children's names on the sides of the frame and maybe after the babies are born you could draw a picture of us to put in the frame." Elizabeth said.

Jack tried to speak but his emotions were over powering him. He cleared his throat and felt he could talk now. "Elizabeth, My Sweetheart! I love the idea of drawing a family picture of us and putting it in this beautiful frame. Thank you so much for it and the pad and tools." He took her in his arms and kiss her passionately.

The kisses became even deeper until finally they gave in to their passion. They made love for the first time since her morning sickness problems began. Eventually they collapsed in each other's arms, spent but very happy. They savored the time together just a little longer before they got up to join the family for breakfast and more gifts.

 _ **I am trying to decide if I want the twins to be one of each or both boys/girls. I was wondering what opinion you have. Thanks**_


	20. Chapter 20

Several weeks had passed since the Thornton and Thatcher families had spent the holidays together. They refused to let William ruin their Christmas or the reunion between the Thatcher family members. Tom and Julie returned to their home right after the New Year. Grace decided to stay in Hope Valley so she could spend time with her son and help Elizabeth out with whatever she needed. Grace and Eric rented one of the row houses and Eric started work at the mill. William had been livid to hear that Grace was staying but he eventually returned to Hamilton alone.

The school committee had met with Elizabeth about her ideas for finding a teacher to help out and take over for her. They agreed to meet with Danielle and to let Elizabeth initiate a shorter school day. School was in session from 9-2, giving Elizabeth the change to go home and rest. A weight was lifted off Jack's shoulders when he heard that news; he had been concerned about her working a full day now that she was expecting twins. He didn't let on that he was worried but Elizabeth knew. She was relieved too that she could work fewer hours. After the school committee interviewed Danielle, they agreed to hire her; she and Elizabeth shared teaching duties for the time being. Elizabeth taught school from 8am until lunch with Danielle taking over after lunch.

In the middle of January, Elizabeth had felt the babies move for the first time. It happened one night right after she and Jack had retired to bed to read. She gasped when she felt it, scaring Jack half to death. He thought she was experiencing pains because of the way she had her hands placed on her belly. When she explained what she felt, his hand went immediately to her belly but he frowned when he didn't feel anything. She had to tell him it would be a few weeks before he could feel the movement. While he was disappointed he couldn't feel anything, he was overjoyed that she could. It meant things were progressing as they should.

One Friday, after she got home from school, Elizabeth went to bed to rest for a while. As she moved further along in the pregnancy she found herself getting more tired again and she was grateful to be working half days. She had almost fallen asleep when she felt a good, strong kick against her ribs. It both startled her and brought tears to her eyes. She couldn't wait until Jack came home. She rested her hands on her belly. "Babies, make sure you kick me like that again after your father comes home. He wants to feel you move so badly." She closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

When Jack returned home that night, he found Elizabeth in the kitchen working on dinner. He walked over to her and put his arms around her ever expanding midsection. He nuzzled his face into the back of her neck and breathed in the smell of her soft hair. "Hi, Sweetheart! How are you feeling?"

She turned around in his arms and kissed him. "I feel great, Jack. I had a nice nap this afternoon." She wrapped her arms around his neck. "I made your favorite for dinner tonight."

Jack looked over her shoulder at the pot on the stove. "Yum! Beef stew! And is that my favorite dessert I see on the counter?" He nodded his head towards the cake.

"Yes, it is. I thought you deserved to have your favorites. We are celebrating tonight." She said as she felt the babies start to get active.

"Oh? What are we celebrating?" He asked with a puzzled look on his face. It wasn't her birthday or their anniversary.

Elizabeth took his hands and placed them on her belly. She felt the babies kicking. "We are celebrating that." She watched Jack's face as he felt the movement.

Jack's eyes widened in surprise when he felt the kick. "Oh my goodness!" He exclaimed, tears forming in his eyes. "I felt the babies move!" He leaned down and kissed her while keeping his hands on her belly. Jack then pulled her over to one of the chairs at their kitchen table and helped her sit down. "You should rest for a few minutes." He said as he kneeled down in front of her and put his hands back on her belly. "I love you, babies. I can't wait to hold you in my arms but stay right where you are for now, warm and cozy in Mama's belly." He kissed her belly then and looked up at Elizabeth, who was softly crying. He stood up and wiped the tears away, knowing they were just happy tears.

"Jack that was beautiful, what you just said."

"I meant every word. I love you and our babies so much, Sweetheart. I don't know what I would do if anything ever happened to you or them." He paused to clear his throat, which was clogged with emotions. "That's why I am so much more protective of you now than I ever was. I have to keep you safe so you can bring our children into the world."

Elizabeth put her hands on his face and stroked his cheeks. "I know, Jack. I think it's sweet how you care for me now. I know it's because you love me so much and want to make sure nothing happens to us."

"Thank you for understanding and not telling me to stop." He lowered his head to kiss her. "You stay right here, Sweetheart. I am going to change and then I am going to serve this wonderful dinner you made. You cooked and baked this afternoon, I should be the one to serve and clean up after."

"All right, but I think I am going to join you in the bedroom and change my clothes. I feel like getting comfortable, if you don't mind me wearing my nightgown at the dinner table."

Jack held out his hand to help her up. "I don't mind at all. How would you like to take a bath later with me and I will give you a massage?"

Elizabeth let out a soft moan. "That sounds fabulous. My back is hurting a bit. I think it has to do with the changes in my body."

"Anytime you need some relief, just tell me. I want to help you be as comfortable as you can be."

"I will, Jack."

A few minutes later changed and Jack had seated Elizabeth back at the table. He took some biscuits and put them in the oven to warm up a bit. "What would you like to drink, Sweetheart?"

"I'll have an ice tea, please."

"Coming right up." He filled two glasses and brought them to the table. He then got two bowls and generously spooned the stew into them. He placed them on the table then went to get the biscuits. He sat down, they said Grace and began to eat. They were mostly silent during the meal, occasionally looking at each other and smiling.

"Jack, I have been doing some thinking about boys' names."

"Oh? What have you come up with? Do you still want to name a one son after me?"

"Yes, Jack Thomas Thornton. I have been thinking about the second name. I would like to have Eric as one of the names, if you agree."

"I most definitely agree."

"I was also thinking about the name Peter. Abigail means so much to me, well both of us, I'd like to name a son after hers, if she doesn't have a problem with it. I like the way Peter Eric Thornton sounds."

"I like that too and I think Abigail would be pleased to have us name a boy after her son."

"I'll ask her tomorrow when I go into town for groceries."

"Elizabeth, just give me your list and I will go to the mercantile. You go to the café and have a nice chat with Abigail."

"All right, thank you. It's been a while since we had a good talk. Maybe after I will go visit Mother and Eric."

"Oh boy, I forgot to tell you. Your mother came by the jail today to invite to dinner on Sunday after church. I didn't think you would mind if I accepted."

"Of course not." Elizabeth set her fork down and pushed her bowl away.

Jack noticed and wondered what was going on. She only ate about half of what he had given her. "What's the matter, Sweetheart? Aren't you hungry?"

"I'm fine, Jack. I just got full."

"Ok, just checking on you."

They spent the rest of the meal talking and occasionally holding hands. When Jack finished, he quickly washed the dishes, then he helped Elizabeth up from her chair. They walked to the bathroom where Jack started the water. Elizabeth brushed out her hair while Jack changed. Soon, they were both relaxing in the warm water.

"Elizabeth, sit up a little bit so I can get at your back." She did as he asked. "Is there any particular spot on your back that is aching?"

"My lower back feels like it's all tied up in knots. I tried to massage them myself earlier but I couldn't do it."

Jack began massaging her; he could feel the knots she was talking about. He gently worked his hands over her muscles, hearing her moan as he brought her some relief. "Is your back feeling better?" he asked a few minutes later.

"Yes, it is. I would like to lean back against your chest now."

"Of course." He gently pulled her back towards him, wrapping his arms around her and resting his hands on her belly. Almost immediately he felt a kick. "I can't get over this, Sweetheart. I wanted so long to feel it and now that I can, wow! It's amazing!"

"I know. I still find it amazing and I have been feeling the babies move for weeks."

"I love you, so much!" Jack whispered in her ear. Elizabeth felt shivers going up and down her back but not because the water had turned cold.

"I love you too, Jack" She grabbed his hand and kissed it. "I'd like to get out now, Jack. I am feeling a bit tired and would like to relax in bed."

"Of course." Jack climbed out of the tub and wrapped a towel around himself, then helped Elizabeth out. He gently placed the towel around her and helped her dry off. Once her nightgown was on, he swept her up in his arms and carried her to bed.

"Jack, aren't I too heavy for you to carry me like this?"

"You will never be too heavy for me to carry, Sweetheart." He gently placed her on the bed, then tucked her in. "Are you going to sleep right away? Do you want me to go read in the other room so the lights can be off in here?"

"I was going to read for a while too, Jack. Please stay with me."

"There is nothing more I would like to do than be with you, my beautiful wife." He climbed into bed with her and picked up his book.

The next morning, after Jack had surprised Elizabeth with breakfast in bed, the happy couple were on their way into town. Jack dropped Elizabeth off at the café and then he moved on to the mercantile. Elizabeth walked in the back door of the café to the kitchen and found Abigail washing dishes.

"Good morning, Abigail." Elizabeth called out.

Abigail turned around and smiled. "Hi, Elizabeth! How are you feeling?"

"I'm doing well, thank you. I get tired easily but usually in the afternoon. Jack drove us into town in the buggy and he is getting the groceries I wanted while I came here to talk. I have something I want to ask you."

"Of course. Would you like a cup of tea and some biscuits?"

"Do you have any scones?"

"I have your favorite, blueberry." Abigail moved to the counter where she had placed the scones and put two on a plate. She poured their tea and brought them over to the table. She waited until Elizabeth had a bite of her scone before asking Elizabeth what's on her mind. "So what did you want to ask me?"

Elizabeth swallowed some of the scone and took a sip of her tea. "Jack and I have been discussing baby names. We need to have two sets of names each."

"Right, in case you have two boys or two girls. What did you come up with?"

"The girl's names were easy. I was reading Little Women one night, Christmas Eve in fact because I couldn't sleep after what happened with my father." Abigail nodded her head, remembering the incident all too well. "I decided I liked the names Josephine Amy and Margaret Elizabeth."

"Those are beautiful, Elizabeth. What about boy's names?"

"It's been a little harder to decide. We decided to name one son after Jack. It was the other name I was having an issue with. I finally decided I wanted Eric as part of the name."

"That makes sense, after everything you went through, thinking he was dead only to find out he was alive. What is the other name you are thinking about?"

"Abigail, how would you feel if we named a son Peter? You have been such a good friend to me, since the beginning when I was just a stranger to you. I feel like you are one of my sisters too. I would be honored to name a son after Peter, if you are fine with that."

Abigail brought a hand to her mouth and tears formed in her eyes. "Oh Elizabeth, I would be so honored if you were to name a son Peter. I think of you like a sister too, a sister I never had." She got up from the table and walked over to Elizabeth, hugging her.

After they parted and wiped the tears falling down both of their faces, Elizabeth told Abigail they had decided on Peter Eric Thornton for the full name.

"I love the sound of that, Elizabeth. You picked great names."

"Thank you, Abigail and thank you for letting us name a son after your son."

At that moment, Jack walked in and found the ladies still crying. "Is everything ok?" He asked, looking a little worried.

"Oh, Jack! Everything is fine. Abigail said yes to us naming a son Peter."

"That's wonderful. Thank you, Abigail." He gave her a kiss on her cheek.

"Jack, you two are like family to me. I am honored that you would want to name a boy after my son."

"Did you get everything I wanted, Jack?"

"I did, Sweetheart, except I changed what you wanted to make for dinner. I am going to make you a pot roast tonight. When we get home, you can rest for the remainder of the day."

Elizabeth was about to protest but she saw a look in his eye that said he would fight her on this decision. Because she wasn't up for a battle with him, she agreed. They left the café with goodies, biscuits, scones and muffins and returned to their home. They spent a quiet day together, just the two of them, talking and relaxing, until Jack went to get dinner started.


	21. Small Worries

A few weeks later, Elizabeth started feeling out of sorts. It happened one morning after Jack had left for work early. She woke up to get ready for school and felt lightheaded. She also felt sick to her stomach had a headache and felt exhausted. While she was having breakfast, toast with a cup of tea, she decided to go into town to see Danielle and ask her to take over class for the day. Then she was going to see if Jack was at the jail and ask him to go to see Dr. Matthews with her. She wasn't sure why she was feeling this way but she wasn't going to play games with her health. She had a feeling Dr. Matthews would tell her she should stop teaching and she was prepared to do that.

After speaking with Danielle and letting her know she would most likely not be teaching any longer, she went to the jail. She was relived to find Jack sitting at his desk doing paperwork. He looked up when he heard the door open. "Elizabeth? Why aren't you at school? What's wrong?" He jumped up from his desk and brought her over to his chair to sit down. He kneeled down in front of her, taking her hands in his and noticed she didn't look well. She was very pale and she looked tired. He instantly became worried and scared. He hadn't felt this way since she had the bad morning sickness. He took a second to calm down because he knew he needed to be strong for Elizabeth.

"I'm not sure Jack, but I woke up not feeling well. I felt dizzy, nauseous and exhausted. I also have a headache. I asked Danielle to take over for me today and so I can go see the doctor. I stopped here because I was hoping you would come with me."

"Of course I will come with you. I want to know what is going on." He stood up and grabbed his hat, before helping Elizabeth to her feet. "Maybe you should sit here while I get a buggy. You shouldn't be walking."

"I'm can handle it Jack. I walked to town by myself, but if you want to get a buggy to take me home, I would appreciate it."

"I will definitely do that. Let's get you to the doctor's." Jack put his arm around her as they left the jail and walked the short distance to the doctor's office.

Dr. Matthews looked up when the Jack and Elizabeth walked in. "Jack, Elizabeth? Did I forget an appointment?" He looked down at his appointment calendar.

"No, Dr. Matthews. I am not feeling well and I wanted to get checked out."

"Of course. Come with me to an exam room."

"Can Jack come with me?"

"Yes he can if it will make you feel better." Dr. Matthews replied after seeing the look in Elizabeth's eyes. He waited until Jack had Elizabeth settled on an exam table and was holding her hand. "What seems to be the problem? What are your symptoms?"

"Well, when I got up this morning, I felt lightheaded and nauseous. I also have a headache and I feel so tired, even though I slept well last night. This is the worst I have felt since I had the bad morning sickness."

Dr. Matthews nodded. "How bad is your headache? On a scale of one to ten, ten being the worst pain you ever experienced."

"I'd say a four or five. I don't get headaches that often so when I woke up with this one, it concerned me."

"I don't blame you. A headache in pregnancy can indicate a problem with your blood pressure or it could be nothing at all. The lightheadedness and nausea can just be tied in with that. Let me start by taking your blood pressure." He got out his blood pressure cup and a few minutes later, removed it from her arm. "Your BP is slightly elevated. Nothing to be too concerned about it but I think under the circumstances you should stop teaching and try to stay off your feet as much as possible. You don't need to be on complete bed rest at this time."

Jack and Elizabeth both breathed a sigh of relief. "I had a feeling you were going to say that so I already mentioned it to Danielle. I will just need to let her know for certain."

"I can do that for you, Sweetheart." Jack replied, not wanting her to do too much.

"I will start coming by your house for your checkups, Elizabeth."

"Thank you, Dr. Matthews."

"Make sure you continue to eat properly and drink plenty of water. That will help also. If anything changes or you get more symptoms, send for me."

"We will." Jack replied as he helped Elizabeth down from the exam table. He shook Dr. Matthews's hand, thanking him once again for checking on Elizabeth, then he helped his wife out the door. "I am going to walk you back to the jail then go get a buggy so we can go home."

"We? Are you staying with me?"

"Yes, I am. Bill is around. If I leave him a note, he will take care of rounds this afternoon. I just want to be with you today. I will go back to work tomorrow, unless something happens between now and then."

"Thank you, Jack. I would love having you with me today but I have another idea. I need to let Danielle know that I won't be teaching anymore. Maybe you could go drop me off at the café where I can wait for you. Then you go to the school and come back for me after."

"All right, that sounds like a good plan. I know Abigail will let you rest while you are waiting." They continued walking over to the café. When they walked in they were surprised to see Grace sitting at the table with Abigail.

"Beth! Why aren't you in school?" Grace asked.

"Mother, I'm glad you're here. I wasn't feeling well this morning so I went to see Dr. Matthews. He said my blood pressure is up a bit, nothing to be concerned about but he wants me to stop teaching and stay off my feet as much as possible."

"I'm glad it's nothing serious, Beth. I remember how I was at this time in my pregnancy with you and Eric. I was so tired. Of course I didn't have a job like you do. What can I do to help?"

"Yes, Elizabeth and Jack. I would like to help too." Abigail said. "Maybe Grace and I can take turns coming out to the house to keep you company. I can also help with meals."

Elizabeth and Jack exchanged looks, knowing what the other one was thinking. They had such great family and friends. "If you could come out to see Elizabeth that would be a huge relief off my shoulders." Jack replied. "I hate to leave her but I can't shirk my duties as a Mountie."

"Done, Jack." Grace stood up and gave him a kiss. "I am happy to go spend time with my daughter."

"I am going to spend the rest of the day with Elizabeth but if you could come by in the morning that would be great." He leaned down to kiss Elizabeth. "I am going to stop by the school then come back here with a buggy to take you home."

"See you in a little while." Elizabeth returned the kiss. Jack quickly left the café and set out to the school house, leaving Elizabeth in the capable hands of her mother and Abigail.

"Would you like something to eat, Elizabeth?" Abigail asked as she poured a cup of tea for her friend.

"I would, thank you. The nausea I was experiencing earlier is gone."

Abigail put some biscuits, scones and muffins on a plate and brought them to the table, where she sat down. "I am planning on making roast chicken for dinner tonight. I can send Bill out to your house with dinner for you and Jack."

"That would be great, Abigail. I have a feeling Jack won't want to leave my side for very long."

"Of course he won't. He loves you and the babies so much. He doesn't want anything to happen to you." Grace smiled as she thought about what a good husband her daughter married. She couldn't believe that at one time she was against the marriage.

"Your mother is right, Elizabeth. Jack would do anything to keep you safe, loved, happy and healthy. Your children too. Let him take care of you right now. Once those babies arrive you won't get a moment's rest."

"I will. At least I am not on permanent bedrest. I can still walk around the house some." She picked up a biscuit and began to eat. The ladies continued to chat while they had their tea, until Jack returned to get Elizabeth.

Jack walked over to the table to help Elizabeth get up. He was happy to see she had been eating. "Are you ready to go home, Sweetheart?"

"Yes, I am." She turned to say goodbye to her mother.

"I will come by the house in the morning, Beth. I can spend the day with you."

"I would like that very much, Mother."

Jack put his arm around Elizabeth and they started to walk towards the door. "Wait!" Abigail called to them. They turned around to see Abigail coming towards them with a basket. "I have some food for you. There are some sandwiches, biscuits and cookies in here. This should keep you going until I send Bill out with your dinner."

"Thank you, Abigail but you don't need to do that. I can make dinner for us." Jack told her.

"I know, Jack but I want to." She handed him the basket, then watched the Thornton's leave.

A short time later, Jack pulled the buggy in front of their home and quickly jumped out. He was at Elizabeth side in a flash and helped her down. Once her feet were on the ground, he swept her up in his arms and carried her inside, bringing her down to the bedroom. He set her down next to the bed. "Do you want to get undressed and into your nightgown?" He asked.

"I would, yes. I am feeling tired and would like to rest for a while, if my handsome husband would join me."

"Your handsome husband would love to join his beautiful wife in bed." They looked at each and laughed, before Jack headed to the dresser to get her nightgown. Once they were changed, Jack helped Elizabeth into bed, tucking her in before joining her. She found sleeping on her side with a pillow under her belly to be the most comfortable. It allowed Jack to continue holding her and put his arms around her. He could feel the babies moving when he did that and he loved it. "Sleep well, Sweetheart. I love you and the babies so much." He whispered in her ear.

"We love you too." Elizabeth replied softly. She soon fell asleep, safely tucked in Jack's arms.

Jack wanted to sleep but his mind wouldn't let him rest. He watched Elizabeth sleep while he thought about what had just happened. Even though Dr. Matthews had said there wasn't anything to be too alarmed about, what had happened worried him greatly. He was feeling a little like he did when Elizabeth had the bad morning sickness. He always had this great need to want to take care of and protect Elizabeth, but when something was wrong with her health, he just felt helpless. All he could do was pray and have faith that the Good Lord will make sure Elizabeth gets through the rest of the pregnancy without any more problems. He said his prayer, then closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

A short time later, Elizabeth woke up desperately needing to use the bathroom. Just in the last few days, she had noticed the twins were pressing on her bladder more often with the end result being her needing to be in the bathroom or outhouse a lot more. She had a feeling the bathroom was going to be her new best friend. She carefully tried to move Jack's arm from around but she didn't succeed.

Jack lifted his head up when he felt his arm being moved. "What do you need, Sweetheart? I can get it for you so you can rest some more." Elizabeth giggled at him. "What is so funny? I just want you to rest." He looked annoyed.

"Jack, I have to use the bathroom. There isn't a way you can bring that to me, unless you want to remodel the house but it wouldn't solve my immediate problem." She giggled again.

Jack laughed with her. "You are correct. I can't bring that to you but I can help you walk to the bathroom." He was already out of bed and at her side when he finished his sentence. Five minutes later, they were back in bed. "Is there anything else I can get you or do you want to go back to sleep?"

Elizabeth glanced over at the clock. It was almost 1pm. "I would like to have something to eat, Jack. I'm very hungry."

"Glad to hear you are hungry and not nauseous anymore. I will go get the basket of food Abigail gave us and bring it in here. We can have a picnic in bed."

"That sounds like fun, Jack. Would you bring me a glass of ice tea please?"

"Of course." He leaned down and kissed her. "You look so beautiful, Elizabeth. I love you."

Elizabeth brought a hand to his face and stroked his cheek. "I love you too." She brought his head down to hers and kissed him. Jack smiled at her, then left the bedroom. He returned with the basket and a tray with their drinks on it.

"I took a peak in the basket and Abigail made us roast beef sandwiches. There are also some of the shortbread cookies you like so much." Jack said as he settled back into bed.

"Yummy! I can't wait to have some. I could eat one first but I really should be good and have the sandwich. Eating cookies for lunch would not be healthy." Elizabeth reach into the basket to get a sandwich and she noticed the cookies. "Ooo, Jack. You didn't tell me they were dipped in chocolate! I have been craving those." Her hands were itching to pick up a cookie but instead she grabbed the sandwich and took a bite.

Jack smiled at her as he took a sandwich. They sat together quietly while they ate their lunch, occasionally stealing glances at each other and smiling. Jack noticed the color returning to Elizabeth's cheeks and he started to feel a little better. He had hope that Dr. Matthews was correct and all Elizabeth needed was to be off her feet and to rest more.

When they finished eating and Elizabeth had one of the cookies, Jack returned the food to the kitchen and then went back to join Elizabeth in the bedroom. "What do you feel like doing now, Sweetheart? Do you want to take another nap?"

"I would like to but my back is hurting me. I don't think I could sleep."

"Then I will give you a massage. Even if you don't fall asleep you will be resting."

"I would love a massage." Elizabeth said as she got herself settled on her side. Jack got back into bed and began gently rubbing her back. He could feel knots on her lower back and some in her shoulders.

"Elizabeth, you must have had these knots for days now. Why didn't you say anything about them before?"

"You've been busy with work lately, staying at the jail late. I was able to get some relief by taking a warm bath."

"From now on, Elizabeth, you are to tell me when you have a sore back or if anything else hurts that I can help you with. I am done with the extra work I have been doing and if I need to, I will bring paperwork home. Let me take care of you, please."

"I will, Jack. I promise." She told him, then let out a moan. "Oh, that feels so good, Jack. Thank you." She started to turn over to face him but he stopped her.

"I am not finished yet, Sweetheart." He continued what he was doing until he felt he got out all the knots he could. "How does your back feel now, Sweetheart?"

She looked over her shoulder at him and smiled. "Much better. Thank you, My Handsome Mountie."

"Would you like me to give you a massage anywhere else?"

"Yes, actually. My feet are sore."

"You got it." Jack helped Elizabeth lay back against the headboard and put a pillow behind her. Then he scooted down to the end of the bed and picked up one of her feet. She moaned again as he began rubbing her foot. Jack looked up at her and noticed she was resting her head against the headboard and her eyes were closed. She was clearly enjoying the massage. He smiled, happy that he was able to give her some relief. He didn't feel so useless anymore, knowing there were things he could do to make her feel better. He stopped for a second and drew a heart on her foot. She opened her eyes and saw him staring at her with a look of love on his face. She blew him a kiss and closed her eyes again, feeling his love for her and their children.


	22. The Arrival

May had arrived in Hope Valley and with it, warmer temperatures. Elizabeth's due date was just a couple of weeks away. After almost going into labor at the beginning of April, Dr. Matthews had put Elizabeth on bed rest, only wanting her to get up to use the bathroom and for short walks around the house. Elizabeth was going stir crazy even with her mother, Eric, Abigail and many other people from town stopping in to see her. She was feeling so uncomfortable and big; she just wanted the babies to be here already.

Jack did what he could to help her though the last few weeks. He would massage her back and feet and walk with her around the house. One night he came home and found her sleeping. He was glad because he had a plan for a romantic dinner that night and now he could surprise her with it. After he finished setting everything up he heard Elizabeth calling for him. He rushed to the bedroom to find her sitting up in bed.

"Hi, Sweetheart." He said as he leaned down to kiss her. He then sat down on the bed and picked up her hand. "How are you feeling?"

"A little tired but other than that ok. I have a bad case of cabin fever." She replied.

"Well, it's funny you should mention that." He stood up and pulled back the covers, indicating he wanted her to get out of bed.

"Jack, what's going on?"

Jack went to grab her robe which he held out for her. She slowly pushed herself out of bed and let him slip the role on her. He took her hand. "Come with me." A couple of minutes later, Jack was opening the front door and led her outside.

Elizabeth gasped when she saw what he had done. Sitting there on the porch was a table set with candles, a bouquet of pink roses, and two plates of roast beef. "Oh, Jack. This is beautiful. Thank you!"

"I know it's been driving you crazy staying in the house all day every day, even with company. I talked to Dr. Matthews and he said it would be fine to take you out here for dinner. He told me you are probably going to have the babies early so if you were to go into labor because of this little trip outside, things would be ok. Of course that won't stop me from being nervous." He said after she gave him a look. He then took her hand and led her to the table, helping her sit down in a chair. Before he sat down, he kissed her again and stared into her eyes. He saw a spark in them he hadn't seen in a few weeks. He knew he made the right decision surprising her with dinner on the porch. "I thought after dinner, we could sit on the swing for a while. I already brought out a blanket for us to snuggle under."

Elizabeth's face lit up and the sparkle grew in her eyes. "I would love to, Jack."

Jack sat down and picked up his glass, which was filled with apple cider. Elizabeth followed suit. "To my beautiful wife and mother of my beautiful children. I love you more than I could ever say or show you. You are my best friend and you are my world. I love you with my entire being."

Elizabeth felt tears come to her eyes and when she looked at Jack, she saw a tear fall down his cheek. She reached up to wipe it away, then rested her hand on his face. "Jack, My Love, you are my best friend and my world. I love you with every fiber of my body and soul. Soon we will be holding the products of the love we have for each other." She squeezed Jack's hand. They stared into each other's eyes for a few minutes.

"I love you." Jack whispered. "We should eat now."

"Yes we should. It smells so good." Elizabeth reached over to get a biscuit and spread some butter on it. She took a bite. "Yummy!"

Jack smiled at her. Elizabeth had developed a constant craving for Abigail's biscuits in the last couple of months. He grabbed a biscuit for himself and started eating his dinner. "Elizabeth, I have something I want to talk to you about."

"Sure, Jack. What is it?"

"I was thinking about the names we picked. If we have one of each, I would like to name our son Peter Eric."

"Really? Are you sure?"

"Quite sure."

"I have been thinking the same thing too, about the girl's names. If we have one of each, I want to name our daughter Josephine Amy."

"Then we are agreed? If we have one of each, the names are Peter Eric and Josephine Amy?"

"Agreed." Elizabeth reached across the table to squeeze his hand. She went back to eating but after a few minutes she pushed the plate away.

"Is something wrong, Sweetheart? You didn't eat much."

"I don't think so. I'm just not that hungry. Maybe if you put the plate away for me, I might be hungry later."

"I can do that." He noticed Elizabeth looked a little pale. He wondered if she feeling worse than she letting on but then wiped that thought out of his head. She had promised to tell him if anything was bothering her. "I am going to put your dinner away and clean up the dishes. Would you like me to get you settled on the swing?"

"That would be great, Jack. Thank you." He quickly got up and helped her get out of her chair. It was difficult considering how big she was but he got her up. Once she was sitting on the swing, he wrapped the blanket around her. "Just sit here and enjoy the fresh air. I will be back soon." He kissed her, then lingered for a moment staring into her beautiful eyes before he went back in the house.

After Jack had brought all the dishes inside and took care of the table, Elizabeth let out a loud sigh. She didn't want to let on that she was feeling very strange tonight. She had been experiencing back pains all afternoon and she was a little nauseous. About an hour before Jack came home, she experienced what she thought was a contraction. She had another one forty-five minutes later. When Jack had turned his back to get her robe for her, she picked up the pocket watch she had been keeping on her nightstand and closed her fingers around it. Once her robe was on, she slipped it into her pocket. She felt another pain during dinner about thirty minutes after the second one. She needed to keep monitoring the pains and hopefully keep it from Jack until she knew for sure what was going on.

Jack came back out to the porch and joined her on the swing, picking up the blanket and covering his legs with it. He put his arm around her and pulled her close. "I have missed this more than you can imagine." Jack whispered.

"I think I do because I missed it just as much." She lifted her to kiss him on his cheek.

"It won't be long before we can sit out here with our children in our arms." He smiled at the thought. He couldn't wait to be a dad.

"I can't wait, Jack." She replied and then felt a contraction more painful than they others she had experienced. She gasped and stiffened in Jack's arms. She began slowly breathing in and out.

Jack looked at her, wondering what was going on. "Elizabeth? Is something wrong?"

Once the pain was over and she could think again, she realized she needed to tell Jack what was happening. She braced herself for his reaction, especially since she didn't tell him when he got home. "Jack, don't be alarmed but I have been experiencing contractions since right before you came home." She closed her eyes and cringed, waiting for his response.

"What? Contractions? Why didn't you tell me the minute I came home? You should have been in bed all this time instead of out here eating dinner." He got up from the swing and went to pick her up but she stopped him.

"Sit back down, Jack. The reason I didn't tell you before was because I wasn't sure if they were actually labor pains or Braxton Hicks contractions. I have been timing them since I had the first one. The pains are about thirty minutes apart. I need to time them for a while to see if they become more frequent."

Jack sat down again but he became very nervous. "Ok, ok. We will time the contractions." He pulled out his pocket watch. "I really think you should be in bed."

"No, Jack. It could be hours yet before anything happens or maybe nothing happens at all. I talked to Dr. Matthews about this when he was here yesterday. He said it would be fine if I wanted to walk around for a while at the beginning." She brought her hand up to Jack's face. "Jack, I'm fine right now. I just want to sit here and breathe in the fresh air while we monitor the pains."

Jack nodded. He still wasn't sure she should be sitting on the swing but if Dr. Matthews was ok with it, then so was he. He put one arm back around her and picked up her hand. "When you feel another pain, squeeze my hand. I want to help you through it."

"I will." She was silent for a few minutes, enjoying the sunset. "Jack?"

He turned to her, alarmed. "What's the matter another pain? That was fast. I should…"

Elizabeth silenced him by putting a finger on his mouth. "I haven't had another pain yet. I wanted to ask you something." She looked nervous.

"What is it, Sweetheart?"

"Would you be willing to stay in the bedroom with me when I give birth? I know men don't usually do that and if you don't want to I understand but I would really like to have you with me."

Jack smiled at her. "I was actually trying to figure out how to ask you that. I want to be with you and help you with whatever you need. I want to see our babies when they are first born and hear their first cries. Maybe Dr. Matthews would even let me hand you the babies after he checks them out."

Elizabeth felt tears streaming down her cheeks. "Oh, Jack. That's wonderful. I love you so much."

"I love you too." He leaned over to kiss her. When they parted, Elizabeth sucked in a breath and squeezed his hand. "Another pain?" She nodded as she breathed in and out. He looked at his watch and noticed only twenty minutes had passed. "They are getting a little closer." He told her.

"Yes, I think that was only about twenty minutes."

"It was." Jack was feeling really nervous and anxious. He had the feeling they would be seeing their children soon. "Do you need anything?"

"No, but I am feeling a little cold. Would you help me back in the house and to the sofa?"

"Of course." He replied as he stood up. He got her to a standing position and took her hand to help her into the house. Suddenly, she stopped right before the front door. "What is it?" He asked.

"My water just broke." She replied and pointed down to the porch.

Jack looked down and noticed the puddle. "Ok, all right, ok. This means the babies are really come now." He felt his nerves increase tenfold. "Do you want me to go get Dr. Matthews now? And your mother and Abigail?"

"Yes, please. Just bring me to the living room first."

"Shouldn't you be in bed now that your water broke?"

"I don't need to be. The contractions are still only twenty minutes apart. I have time yet before I need to be in bed. If they suddenly increase while you are gone, I will get into bed."

"All right." He got her settled on the couch and wrapped her in the blanket. "I will be back soon. Remember your breathing. I love you." He kissed her then ran out of the house and to the barn where he quickly hooked up his horse to the buggy. He went to the barn to and brought out his horse. He decided to go to Grace's first. He figured Eric could go get Dr. Matthews and Abigail and he and Grace could return to Elizabeth faster.

Soon he had pulled up in front of the row house. He jumped out of the buggy and ran up the steps and then knocked on the door. Eric answered and knew instantly why his brother-in-law was there.

"Elizabeth's in labor, isn't she?"

Jack was surprised for a moment that he knew, then remembered the "twin sense" they had for each other. "Yes, she is. I came to get your mother. I was also hoping maybe you could go get Dr. Matthews and Abigail for me. I would like to get back to Elizabeth as soon as possible and I can bring your mother with me."

"Of course I will, Jack. Come in for a minute though. Mother is up in her room reading." Jack nodded and entered the house. "Mother? Jack's here."

Grace came down the stairs. "Jack? Is everything ok with Elizabeth?"

"She went into labor, Grace."

"Oh my goodness. I'm about to become a grandmother. Have you gone for the doctor yet?"

"No I haven't. I wanted to get home to Elizabeth as quickly as I could so I asked Eric to get Dr. Matthews and Abigail, while I take you back to the house with me."

"That was good thinking, Jack. Let me get my coat and we can go." Eric had already left while Jack was talking to Grace. Once they were in the buggy riding back to the Thornton house, Grace turned to him. "How long has she been in labor?"

"Only a couple of hours, I think. She was timing the contractions but then her water broke."

"That definitely means labor even if her contractions aren't regular yet." She patted him on his shoulder. "How are you holding up?"

"I'm a little nervous. Ok, a lot nervous. Right before her water broke, we discussed having me in the bedroom with her while she gives birth. We both know it's not conventional but she wants me there and I want to be able to help with anything she needs, if I can."

"In the months I have been living here and getting to know you better, I leaned you are not like most men. You took an active role in helping her with the pregnancy right from the very beginning when she had that horrible morning sickness. If you weren't going to be in with her, I would have been surprised."

"Thank you, Grace." Jack said as he pulled the horse to a stop in front of the house. He quickly jumped out and helped Grace out of the buggy. They ran up the steps and into the house to find Elizabeth in deep concentration over a contraction. Jack rushed to her and took her hand in his, which she promptly squeezed. Grace moved to Elizabeth's other side and rubbed her back for her.

When the pain ended, Elizabeth thanked them both. "You are back quicker than I thought you would be, Jack. Is Dr. Matthews not in town?"

"I sent Eric to go into town for the doctor and Abigail. I wanted to get back to you as quickly as I could." He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "How are the pains? Do you need to sit down?"

"They are coming every seven minutes now. I tried laying down in bed for a while but my back hurt so much. I feel a little better walking around. I would like to continue as long as I can."

"Of course, Beth. I was the same way with all my deliveries. I drove my doctor crazy wanting to walk around but I just couldn't take being in bed for hours in all that pain. Jack and I will help you."

"Thank you, Mother." She started walking around the living room again with Jack holding her hand. They had done a couple of laps when she felt another pain. She stopped where she was and tried her breathing but this contraction was particularly painful. She let out a little scream, scaring Jack.

"Elizabeth, what's wrong?" He asked as she clamped down on his hand.

"Painful, very painful." She managed to say while trying to catch her breath. Grace began rubbing her back again as Jack whispered in her encouraging words. When it passed, Elizabeth breathed easier. "That was a good one." She said as she started walking again, with Jack holding on to one of her arms and Grace the other. She had two more contractions before Eric, Dr. Matthews and Abigail arrived.

"I hear we are having a baby or two in the next few hours." Dr. Matthews said as he walked in. "Elizabeth I would like to examine you. Let's go to the bedroom."

Elizabeth nodded but felt a pain coming before she could move. She let out another scream and squeezed Jack's hand so hard he heard his fingers snap. "Just breathe through it, Sweetheart. In and out. You are doing so well." He nuzzled her neck and kissed her cheek. When it was over, she turned to him and gave him a weak smile.

"Thank you." She whispered, then started down the hall to their bedroom. When she got to the doorway, she turned to Dr. Matthews. "I asked Jack to stay with me while I have the babies. I hope you will be ok with that since it is not the norm."

"I am completely fine with that. I have witnessed the beautiful love you have for one another and how you always help each other out. I know Jack will be a big help for you during your labor."

"Thank you." She said and walked into the bedroom. She was about to get into bed when she felt another pain. Jack rubbed her back and continued murmuring words of encouragement into her ear. When it was over she got into bed. "The contractions are coming much faster now and they are more painful."

Abigail, who had just entered the room with a basin of water and a face cloth, walked over to the bed to wipe down Elizabeth's sweaty face. "As much as I know you don't want to hear that, it is good. It means your body is doing what it needs to do to get you ready to deliver." She sat down on one side of Elizabeth while Jack sat on the bed on her other side.

Dr. Matthews began his exam, having to stop once for another contraction. He finished before another pain started. "Elizabeth, you are progressing faster than I thought. You are more than half way there. I think we may see the babies before the sun comes up."

Elizabeth mustered a smile. "That's wonderful. Isn't wonderful, Jack?"

Jack swallowed hard to clear the emotions filling his throat. "It is, Sweetheart. I can't wait." He felt her grab his hand again as another contractions started. Abigail dipped the cloth in the cool water and applied it to Elizabeth's face while Dr. Matthews got out the supplies he would need for the delivery.

When the pain ended, Abigail turned put the cloth back in the basin. "Elizabeth do you want me to send in your mother?"

"Maybe she should stay out there. I don't want Eric to be alone."

"He won't be. Bill was finishing up something and was going to come out here to keep Jack company. He didn't know your plans to have Jack stay with you. He won't mind staying with Eric."

"In that case, yes I would like my mother in here with me."

"Be right back." She returned a moment later with Grace.

"How are you doing, Beth?"

"I'm ok, Mother. It's getting more painful but I have a great support system here to help me through the contractions." She said, just before another pain came. Jack held her hand and whispered in her ear while Grace took over for Abigail, who was helping Dr. Matthews. This routine continued for several more hours. At around four am, Elizabeth started to feel different. "Dr. Matthews, I feel like I have to push."

Dr. Matthews examined her and found she was right, she was ready to push. Jack sat behind Elizabeth so she could brace herself up against him. Grace continued to wipe down her face with a cool cloth. When Elizabeth felt the next contraction start, she bared down and pushed as hard as she could, squeezing Jack's hands so tight he thought she would break them.

"You are doing so well, Sweetheart." He whispered into her ear after the contraction passed.

Elizabeth tried taking some deep breaths when the pain was over but another contraction started up just as quickly as the last one ended. She never felt such pain before and she screamed as she pushed. Jack continued to murmur in her ear, telling her how well she was doing and that he loved her. Once the pain ended, she collapsed against Jack's chest hoping for a couple of minutes rest. She was so tired already and the first baby hadn't been born yet. She didn't know how she would be able to deliver two babies. When the next contraction started, she screamed again, much louder. It felt like her body was splitting in half.

"Keep pushing Elizabeth! The head is crowning!" Dr. Matthews said.

Elizabeth nodded and dug deep into herself for the next push. "Jack! This hurts so much!" She cried as she clamped down on his hands again.

"I know Sweetheart but you are doing so well. I am in awe of what you are doing right now. I love you so much!" He whispered into her ear. She nodded and continued to push, at Dr. Matthews instructions, until she felt the baby slide from her body. She fell back against Jack's chest, completely exhausted.

"How's the baby, Dr. Matthews?" She asked weakly.

"Congratulations, Elizabeth and Jack. You have a son!" He turned around and brought the baby over to Elizabeth. "You can hold him for a minute or two but then we have another baby to deliver."

Elizabeth took their son into her arms and cried. "Oh, Jack! Look at how handsome our son is!"

Jack couldn't stop staring at his little boy. Elizabeth was right; he was handsome. Jack felt tears running down his face. "Welcome to the world, Peter Eric Thornton." Jack whispered. "Daddy loves you."

Abigail approached the bed, not wanting to break up the family bonding but she needed to take Peter from his mother so Elizabeth could deliver his little brother or sister. "I'm sorry, Elizabeth, Jack. I have to take him for now. You have more work to do, Elizabeth." Elizabeth reluctantly gave Peter to Abigail, who promptly gave him to his grandmother, who was standing close by with tears in her eyes.

Grace had barely taken Peter in her arms when Elizabeth felt another contraction. She started moaning in pain. She was so tired, she couldn't muster the strength to scream. "Jack, I can't do this anymore. Too tired."

Jack's heart broke when he saw the look of exhaustion in her face. She looked like she was giving up. He felt fear go through his body. "Sweetheart, I know you can do this. I amazed at how you have been doing this all night. You have often told me I am your hero but here, tonight, you are my hero. You can do this. Our other baby is waiting to meet us." He massaged her shoulders for a moment. "I love you so much!"

As Elizabeth felt another pain, she dug to the bottom of her soul and pushed with all her might. Her screams seemed to reverberate off the walls as she continued to push. The pain was unbearable, unlike anything she had felt before. Finally, she felt her second child leave her body. She once again fell back against Jack's chest.

"You did it! Sweetheart, I am so proud of you." Jack kissed her head and held her against his body. "What's the good word, Doctor?" Jack inquired as he listened to their baby cry.

"Congratulations again! You have a healthy baby girl!" Dr. Matthews walked over to the happy couple, this time handing their daughter to Jack while Grace and Abigail hugged and cried.

Jack stared down at his little girl. She was gorgeous, just like her mother. Tears rushed down his face as she opened her beautiful blue eyes. "She looks just like you, Sweetheart!" He whispered, then carefully put their daughter into her mother's arms.

Elizabeth gazed down on her daughter's face, feeling tears of her own start to fall. Grace brought Peter over to Jack, then she, Abigail and Dr. Matthews left the room so the little family could bond. The four of them just sat there as the sun came up and bathed them in light. The longer Elizabeth looked at her baby girl, the more she decided that Josephine Amy was the name she wanted to give her.

"Jack?"

"Yes, Sweetheart?"

"I don't want to name our daughter Josephine. I would like to name her after members of our family."

"Ok, what names do you have in mind?"

"I was thinking Grace Charlotte Thornton."

Jack felt tears in his eyes once again. He found himself wondering if the tears would ever stop today. "That's the perfect name for her. Our mothers will be so happy."

Elizabeth looked up to Jack, then over to Peter and back down to Grace. "Jack, just look at them. They are beautiful!"

"Yes they are and so is their mother. I am so proud of you, Elizabeth. I am in awe of what you did. I know it was so hard for you to deliver Grace when you were so tired but you did it." He kissed her temple.

"It was your encouragement that helped me to gather the strength to push. I am so glad you were with me, letting me squeeze your hand and listening to the words you whispered in my ear. I love you so much!" Her voice cracked with emotion.

Jack inched himself a little closer to her and kissed her. "I love you too. So much. I never thought I could love anyone so much and now there are two more people I love in my life. My heart is bursting with the love I feel for you and our children." He was crying again as he spoke.

Elizabeth lifted a hand to his face and wiped his tears. Then she let out a loud yawn. "I'm sorry, Jack. I didn't mean to ruin the moment by yawning like that."

"It's fine, Sweetheart. You have the right to be tired after what you did today." He was about to say something else when they heard a knock at the door. "Come in!"

Grace opened the door and walked up to the bed. "How are you doing, Beth?" She smiled as she looked at her daughter's new family.

"I'm wonderful and exhausted." Elizabeth replied.

"Dr. Matthews had to leave. There was an emergency in town. He said he will stop back later to check on you. In the meantime, Abigail and I are going to stay here to help you both out. Is there anything you need right now?"

"Well, first, I want to formally introduce you to your granddaughter. Her name is Grace Charlotte Thornton." Elizabeth looked up at her mother's face to see the reaction. It didn't disappoint.

Grace brought a hand to her heart as tears formed in her eyes. "Oh Beth. I am so honored you want to name her after me. I never expected you to do that. Thank you!" She kissed her daughter. "And thank you for letting me be part of the birth. I will never forget this day."

"Would you like to hold her?" Elizabeth asked even though she knew the answer.

"Oh yes!" She took Grace from her daughter's arms. "Hi little Grace. I'm your Grandma!" She stared into Grace's face, completely mesmerized.

Elizabeth smiled at the pretty picture her mother and her daughter made. Then she let out another big yawn. "Oh, I'm sorry."

Grace looked at her daughter. "Oh, Beth. I should go and let you get some sleep. You deserve it." She walked back to the bed to give Elizabeth baby Grace back.

"Wait, mother. Why don't you take Grace and go out to the living room to introduce her to her Uncle Eric."

"I will join you and bring Peter out too." Jack said.

"That's a great idea. Eric is anxious to see them. So is Bill." She turned to go out the bedroom room door but waited in the threshold for Jack.

Jack kissed Elizabeth before he got up. "You get some rest, Sweetheart. Hopefully these two will let you sleep for a little while before they need to be fed."

Elizabeth nodded and closed her eyes. In less than a minute, she was asleep, dreaming of her beautiful children, her Eric and Grace.


	23. Family Moments

Jack and Grace walked together out to the living where Abigail, Bill and Eric were waiting. As soon as he saw his mother and brother-in-law enter with the babies in their arms, Eric jumped up. He was anxious to find out if he had two nieces, two nephews or one of each. Grace and Abigail had refused to tell him.

"Mother!" He walked over to his mother and looked down at the bundle in her arms. "What a pretty baby! Is the baby a girl?"

"Yes she is and her name is Grace Charlotte Thornton." The happy grandmother replied as she handed her namesake to her son.

Eric fell in love with the beautiful baby girl the instant he held her. She opened her eyes and stared at him as she grabbed one of his fingers. "Hi there, little Grace. I'm your Uncle Eric. I am going to spoil you rotten, if your mother will let me." He lifted his head up and grinned at his mother.

"You have to stand in line behind me, Son. Grandmothers have first dibs on spoiling the grandchildren." Everyone in the room laughed.

While Eric was admiring his beautiful niece, Bill went over to see Jack and the baby the proud father was holding. "Who do we have here, Daddy?" Bill inquired

"Bill, Eric, I would like to introduce you to my son, Peter Eric Thornton." Jack carefully watched Eric to see his reaction.

Eric's head snapped up when he heard his nephew's name. "You named him after me?" He felt tears in his eyes. He said a prayer thanking God for sparing his life and allowing him to reunite with his family.

"We wanted to honor special people in our lives. Peter is the name of Abigail's late son. Charlotte is my mother's name." Jack explained. "Would you like to hold him?"

"Yes, I would." Eric replied and turned to give Little Grace to her grandmother. He gently took Peter from Jack's arms and held him close. "Hi little Peter. I'm your Uncle Eric, in case you didn't hear me introduce myself to your sister. What a handsome little boy you are."

Jack walked over to Grace and she put little Grace in his arms. He looked at her beautiful face, so much like her mother's. Grace opened her eyes at that moment and stared up into her father's face, then started to get a little fussy. She let out a quiet cry and started making sucking noises. "Grace? What's she doing? Is she hungry?"

"I think she is. Better take her to Beth before Peter wakes up."

Jack nodded and quickly made his way to the bedroom. He paused for a brief moment to look at his wife; she still looked exhausted, rightfully so, but she was also the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. He sat down on the edge of the bed and gently shook her shoulder to wake her up. "Elizabeth? Wake up for me." Grace let out a cry at that moment causing Elizabeth to stir.

Elizabeth heard one of the babies cry and she opened her eyes. Jack was sitting next to her with one of the twins in his arms. "Is someone hungry?" She asked while attempting to sit up."

"Yes, little Grace is. Her grandmother suggested I bring her in so she wouldn't wake up Peter."

Elizabeth unbuttoned her nightgown and reached for Grace. "Good idea. This may be one of the few times I have to feed just one baby at a time." She gently guided Grace's head towards her breast. Grace latched on quickly and began eating. Elizabeth kept her gaze on Grace as she ate, stroking Grace's head.

Jack watched his wife nourishing their baby girl, completely entranced. It was so beautiful. He had an idea for a new painting. Elizabeth in the rocking chair he had made, feeding their children, with him standing behind her gazing down upon his family. He would hang it in the nursery.

Elizabeth looked up and noticed Jack watching her feed Grace. "What are you looking at?" She asked, feeling a bit uncomfortable.

"I'm watching you feed our daughter. You make a pretty picture."

Elizabeth smiled and blushed at the same time. "Thank you." She gazed back down at Grace and noticed she was drifting off to sleep. She picked her up and put her on her shoulder to burp her. She then cradled Grace in her arms and began humming a lullaby to her. Grace quickly fell asleep. "Jack, would you put her in the cradle? She needs to sleep and I have a feeling it won't be long before Peter wants to eat."

Jack took Grace from her mother's arms and brought her to the cradle. He placed her in it, then stood over her, watching her sleep. He returned to the bed and crawled in next to Elizabeth. "How are you feeling?" He asked with a worried tone. He pulled her towards his chest and held her.

"I am tired and sore but very happy, Jack." She snuggled deep into his embrace. She was about to say something else when they heard a knock at the door. "Come in." She said quietly, hoping the person would hear her. She didn't want to wake up Grace.

Abigail came into the room with Peter in her arms. He was fussing a bit. "I'm sorry to bother you but I think Peter is hungry. I also wanted to see how you were doing." She walked over to the bed and handed Peter to his mother.

Elizabeth, who hadn't buttoned her nightgown back up after feeding Grace, settled her son at her breast. He began eating immediately. He was a natural just like his sister. "I'm doing ok. I was just telling Jack I am exhausted and in some pain but it was all worth to have these two beautiful babies."

"That's normal, as I am sure you know. Jack, you may want to start a bath for Elizabeth later." Jack nodded. He would do anything for his wife, especially after watching her fight to bring their children into this world. "Are you hungry?" Abigail asked the happy parents.

"Starving." Elizabeth replied. "I didn't all that much at dinner last night."

"I am going to make you some breakfast then. Anything in particular you would like?"

"I'm not fussy today. I just want to eat." Elizabeth smiled at her dear friend, so happy she had been part of this experience with her.

"Ok, I will be back soon." Abigail left the room and the little family.

Once again, Jack watched as Elizabeth fed Peter. He was amazed by what his wife had done on this very special day. He leaned over to stroke Peter's head and to kiss Elizabeth's cheek. "I love you so much, Sweetheart. Have I thanked you enough for bringing these two very special people into our lives?"

"Yes but it's nice to hear it again." She smiled at him and returned the kiss he had just given her.

"I am in awe of you, Elizabeth. You were so strong, dealing with the pain so well and delivering the babies. Even when you were so exhausted after giving birth to Peter and didn't think you could go on to bring Grace into the world. You somehow found the strength and you did it."

"It was because I could tell you wanted to help me so badly. I could feel you give me your strength and it helped me to find what I needed to bring our beautiful daughter into this world. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for being with me. I don't know if I could have done it without you."

"I think you could have but I am happy I was here with you. I think I would have gone mad listening to you in pain and not being able to do anything about it. It was still hard for me to see you like that but being by your side, holding your hand and encouraging you helped me." He kissed her. "I think Peter is falling asleep."

Elizabeth looked down at her son and noticed he was fighting to keep his eyes open. She repeated the process she did with Grace, then had Jack settle him into his cradle. Once Jack returned to bed, she snuggled into his arms. "I love you so much, Jack. Thank you for being with me. I am so glad you were able to be here the minute our children came into this world."

"I love you too, Sweetheart. Thank you for asking me to be here. It was amazing being here right when they were born." He held her close and ran his fingers through her hair. "If you need anything while you are recuperating, please tell me. I don't want you to try to do anything too strenuous by yourself."

"I don't think I could right now. How is it I can feel so wonderful and yet so exhausted at the same time?"

"I don't know but I kind of feel the same way. Not as much as you since you did the hard work but I am tired just the same."

Elizabeth smiled at him. "I didn't hurt your hands too much did I?" Her smile disappeared and in its' place was a worried expression.

Jack kissed her again. "Don't worry about that. Yes it hurt a little but it was nothing compared to the pain you were in."

The smile returned again. "I have the best husband in the world." She moved her head so she could kiss him.

Jack felt his heart burst with love. "I have the best wife in the world."

The happy couple snuggled close together and thought about the blessings that were given in their lives. They couldn't imagine being any happier than they were in that moment.

 _A short chapter this time. I am still thinking about where I want to go from here. I have some ideas in my mind. I am thinking I should bring William back in the picture. I am also thinking in terms of a time jump so I can bring back Julie and Tom and the other Thatcher grandchild. Another idea is to bring Charlotte to town to meet her grandchildren. I may take a break from writing this story while I think about my ideas._


	24. William Returns

After eating a breakfast of eggs, bacon and biscuits, Jack wanted to start a bath for Elizabeth but she was already falling asleep. He decided it was best that she rest now while the twins were sleeping. He would draw her bath later. Grace, Eric and Abigail decided to get some sleep too, with the women staying in their guest bedrooms while Eric returned home. Jack decided to join his wife. He climbed back into bed and put his arms around her. She must have felt him because she moved closer to him without waking up.

A little while later, Jack woke up to one of the babies crying. Elizabeth barely stirred, still exhausted from all she went through. Jack got up and noticed Grace was awake but not Peter. He picked her up and immediately realized she needed a diaper change. He walked over to the changing table and quickly removed the wet diaper. In no time he had a new diaper on his little Princess; she was looking up at him with what appeared to be a smile on her face. He could see she had his dimples. She didn't seem to want to go back to sleep so he brought back to bed with him. He held her and sang to her, hoping she would go back to sleep. She had other ideas. She wanted to spend time with her daddy and was enjoying the attention he was giving her. She gurgled happily while he sang to her.

Elizabeth woke up when Jack started singing. She watched him with Grace while pretending to be asleep. Her heart was bursting with love seeing her husband singing to their daughter with a look of pure joy on his face. She started crying which alerted Jack that she was awake. Elizabeth smiled through her tears and went to sit up in bed. "Jack that was so beautiful, seeing you with Grace, listening to you sing to her." She kissed him.

"It's amazing the love I feel for her already. I knew I loved them before they were born but what I am feeling today is so much more than I ever imagined." He felt tears in his eyes yet again. Yep, he was never going to stop crying today.

"It's wonderful." Elizabeth replied as she reached her hand over to stroke her daughter's face. Grace smiled for her mother. "Look, Jack! She has your dimples,"

Jack grinned, flashing those same dimples at his wife. "I know. For the most part she looks just like you except for her smile. I hope her eyes stay blue like yours." He looked down at Grace and noticed she was starting to make sucking sounds. "I think she needs her Mama now." He shifted to hand Grace to Elizabeth before she started crying.

Elizabeth quickly unbuttoned her nightgown and took Grace from Jack. Grace immediately latched on to on and began eating. Jack put his arm around Elizabeth and watched Grace eat, thinking about the time in his life when he didn't think he wanted a wife and family. Now he couldn't imagine his life without Elizabeth and their beautiful babies.

Once Grace was finished eating, she fell asleep. Jack took her back to her cradle and noticed Peter was waking up. He picked up his son, changed his diaper and brought him to bed, where he placed the baby in his mother's arms. Jack once again put his arm around Elizabeth and looked down at Peter.

Elizabeth looked up at Jack and smiled. "He looks like you, so handsome."

"His eyes are the same color as his sister's and yours." Jack noted as he saw Peter letting his mother know he was hungry. Once he was fed and back in his cradle, Jack returned to his wife. "Hopefully they should be set for a while. Would you like that bath now?"

Elizabeth let out a sigh. "Yes I would. I am feeling really sore now." She started to get out of bed but Jack stopped her.

"You wait here until the bath is ready. I will help you into the tub."

"All right, Jack. Thanks." A few minutes later Jack returned and gently picked up. "Jack, you don't need to carry me." She smiled at him, letting him know she didn't mind.

"I know but I want to. It's going to take you a while to feel better. Why not let me pamper you for a few more days?"

"I love you, Jack." She said as he stopped by the tub. She kissed him before he set her down.

"I love you too." He pulled her nightgown off her body, then helped her into the tub.

Elizabeth sighed as she settled into the warm water. "Thank you so much, Jack. This feels so good."

"I'm glad. I am going to go back to the bedroom. Call me if you need anything." He leaned down and kissed her, then closed the door behind him.

Elizabeth laid her head back against the tub and shut her eyes, enjoying the warm water. She prayed to the Good Lord, thanking Him for helping her through her labor and giving her two beautiful children. She was so happy that tears started falling down her cheeks again. She stayed in the tub for about twenty minutes then got out. After she dried off, she walked back into the bedroom to find Jack asleep. She checked on the twins, changed their diapers, rocked them to sleep, and then quietly climbed back in to bed. She rested her head on his chested. He woke up briefly, putting his arm around her then they both went back to sleep, knowing they should take advantage of their babies resting as well.

Later that day, Abigail was working on a roast beef for dinner when she heard a knock at the door. Thinking the visitor was Dr. Matthews coming to check on Elizabeth, she went to answer the door. She was surprised to see William Thatcher standing on the porch. "Mr. Thatcher!" Abigail said after she recovered from the shock. "Please come in."

He followed her into the living. "Mrs. Stanton. I am surprised to see you here. I came to see Elizabeth. Is she home?" He gave Abigail a stern expression.

"Um, yes but she is sleeping right now….."

"William!" Grace interrupted as she walked into the room. "What on earth are you doing here?"

"Grace, get your things. I am taking you home now where you are going to be my dutiful wife once again." He grabbed her by the arm and started to pull her out the house, but Grace stood her ground.

"No, William! I am not going anywhere with you." She managed to get out of her husband's grip.

"How dare you disobey me?" He yelled.

Grace glared at him. "Be quiet! You'll wake the babies!" She said as Jack walked in. Jack had heard William's voice and had come out to find out what was going on and to get William to be quiet. It appeared he didn't need to come out through as his mother-in-law seemed to be handling things.

"Babies? What babies? Don't tell me Julie is here and she had a baby with that trouble maker Thornton."

Grace let out an exasperated sigh. "Julie is pregnant but she isn't due for a while. I am talking about the twins Elizabeth delivered earlier today. I told you about them when you were here at Christmas but I guess you weren't paying attention to me, just like at home." Grace moved closer to Jack, putting her hand on his shoulder, hoping he wasn't too upset about what William had to say about Tom and probably Jack himself given the things William had said about the Thornton men back at Christmas.

William's expression soften when he heard about the twins. "My Beth had twins? My twin daughter gave birth to my twin grandchildren?" He whispered just as Elizabeth walked out to the living room and over to Jack. She looked at him with a puzzled look on her face. Jack put a finger to his lips, indicating for her to be quiet and just watch.

Grace was amazed at his reaction. "Yes, she did, William. She had a boy and a girl."

William smiled. "What are their names?"

"Peter Eric and Grace Charlotte."

William began to cry. He looked over at Jack and saw Elizabeth standing with him. He walked over to his daughter and took her hands in his. "Beth how did you know to name your son after my grandfather?"

Elizabeth surprised. Then she remembered her great grandfather's name. She only found out about him while she was in college; she never knew him. She glanced over at Abigail with a questioning look on her face. Abigail nodded, letting her friend know that it was ok to keep the real reason her son was named Peter a secret. "Father, do you remember when I was in college I had to do a project where I was to research our family tree?"

William thought about it. "Yes I do remember."

"When I saw his name, I fell in love with it. I knew I wanted to name a son Peter, if I was lucky enough to have a son."

William took Elizabeth in his arms and hugged her. "Thank you, Beth. I loved my grandfather. I used to go to his house and listen to him tell stories from the old world. I was devastated when he died." He wiped away some more tears. "And you named your daughter after your mothers. That's beautiful." He said as he put his hand out to Jack.

Jack looked down at William's extended hand, surprised then he shook it. "Would you like to meet Peter and Grace?" He looked down at Elizabeth and smiled, which she returned.

"I would love to."

"Go sit down on the sofa, Father and we will bring them out." Jack and Elizabeth left the room. Abigail returned to the kitchen to work on dinner and Grace sat down next to her husband, shocked by what she had just witnessed.

"Grace, I can't believe it. They named their son after Grandfather."

Grace, who knew the real reason her grandson was named Peter, kept her mouth shut. "Just wait to you see them. Peter is so handsome. He looks like Jack. Grace is beautiful, just like her mother."

William was about to reply when Jack and Elizabeth returned, each with a baby in their arms. Elizabeth had Peter and she sat down next to William. "Father, this is Peter." She handed her son to his grandfather, then sat back to watch the scene. Jack had sat down next to Grace and handed little Grace to her grandmother. He then got up and went to get his camera.

William didn't noticed Jack leave. He was too entranced with his grandson. "Look at him!" He said as Peter opened his eyes and gurgled happily in his grandfather's arms. Then he grabbed William's finger. "What a grip this young man has!" Then he looked over at the bundle in his wife's arms. "What a beauty she is. She does look just like her Mama, except for the dimples." He said as Little Grace smiled up at him.

Jack returned to the living room and asked if William and Grace would like their photograph taken while they were holding their grandchildren. Of course, the answer was yes and Jack took several photos, then asked Elizabeth to sit in between her parents for some more. When he was done, William got up and walked over to Jack. "I am going to give you Peter back, then I want that camera. Let me take some family photographs of you, Elizabeth and the twins together."

Jack, too amazed by the change in William, simply nodded and took Peter from his grandfather's arms. Grace had already given her granddaughter back to Elizabeth. Jack sat down next to his wife while William took the pictures. After he was done, He approached his daughter.

"I haven't held my granddaughter yet. May I?"

Elizabeth was already handing Grace over to him. "Of course, Father."

"Beth, she is so beautiful, just like you were as a baby." He leaned down to kiss his daughter on her forehead. "Grace, Beth, Jack. I want to apologize to you for what I did when I was here for Christmas. I have felt ashamed of myself many times since that trip but could never bring myself to apologize, to say I was wrong. I love my children so much that I had a hard time letting them go. Even Viola is gone now, living with Lionel in England. I am so proud of what you have all become, even Eric. I hate to admit this but even though I wanted him to join the family business, I was proud of him for standing up for himself and doing what he wanted to do. I was just too stubborn to admit it."

Grace looked at her husband, surprised by his confessions. "William, does this mean you will have a talk with Eric? Clear the air with him?"

William smiled at his wife. "Yes, I will go have a talk with him. I need to clear the air with all my family members, including Julie and Tom. Jack, I am so sorry for the things I said about you and Tom. You both love my daughter's and I know you will take good care of them and my grandchildren." William looked down again at Grace. "When is Julie due?"

"In about three months." His wife replied.

"Good. We can spend some time here with Beth, Jack, the twins, and Eric. Then we can go visit Julie and Tom when she is due to have her baby."

"William? Do you really mean that? You want to stay here for a while?"

"Yes, I do. Despite how I acted when I first arrived here today, I had made plans with the company to take some time off. The company is in good hands without me and I need to get my priorities in order. A man is nothing without his family." He leaned over to kiss Grace. At the same moment baby Grace started making her hungry noises.

Elizabeth stood and went to pick up Grace. "I'm sorry to take her away from you, Father but she's hungry and I am the only one who can take care of that."

William smiled and handed Grace over to the very capable hands of his daughter. "Of course. I will see you in a little while?"

"Of course, Father. I am not going anywhere." Elizabeth replied then went off to the bedroom.

Grace stood up and went over to Jack. "You should probably take him and go to the bedroom too. I am sure he is going to be hungry soon."

"I'm sure you are right." Jack said as he accepted his son back. He went to the bedroom to find Elizabeth settling Grace down to eat.

Elizabeth looked up when she heard the bedroom door close. "Tell me, Jack. Am I dreaming or did my father just apologize for the way he has been acting?"

"If you are then I am having the same dream." He said as he sat down next to his wife. "Amazing the affect these two had on their grandfather."

"Yes it is." She lifted her head to kiss him. "I can't believe he wants to make things right with Eric. That is huge given everything they went through before Eric left home."

"I guess now that his family is growing he is realizing some of the mistakes he made in his life and he wants to make them right away, while he still has a chance."

"I guess so." She said as Grace finished eating. She burped her then stood up to place Grace into her cradle. Just as Grandmother Thatcher thought, Peter was ready for dinner too. When he was settled, the happy parents returned to the living room. Grace was sitting on the sofa looking nervous. "What's the matter, Mother?" Elizabeth asked as she sat down next to her.

"Eric just came by to see you and the twins. Your father asked to see him alone, so they went to your home office. I haven't heard any yelling, which I am hoping is a good sign."

Elizabeth squeezed her mother's hand. "I hope so, too." She looked over at Jack, who had sat down next to her. The three of them waited for what seemed like eternity before father and son returned to the living room, both with smiles on their faces. "How did things go?" Elizabeth asked.

"Great, just great." Eric replied. "We cleared the air and said some apologies. We have a long way to go but we have a good start to a new relationship with each other." Eric put his arm around his father.

"That we do, Son."

"Mother, I hope you don't mind but I asked Father to come stay with us at the row house rather than at the hotel."

Grace, who had been crying softly as she watched the scene between her husband and son, simply nodded. "Of course it's ok. Your father and I have some things to work out too." She smiled at her husband. "Just so you know, I am staying here for a few days, to help Elizabeth and Jack out until she is feeling better."

"That's fine, Grace. I figured you would be. I will return to town now and get my bad, then meet Eric at the house. I will be back tomorrow to see more of my beautiful family." He started to get up to leave but Elizabeth stopped him.

"Father, you can get your bag later. Please stay for dinner. We would love to have you. Abigail is a great cook and I know she made plenty."

"That sounds wonderful, Beth. I would love to stay." He walked over to his daughter and give her a hug. Abigail stepped out at that moment and called them for dinner. For the first time in a long time, the Thatcher family together again, in person and in spirit as they celebrated the next generation.


End file.
